site.bta Bulgarian PM Borissov Visits Turkey, Confers with Counterpart Yildirim, President Erdogan

Bulgarian PM Borissov Visits Turkey, Confers with Counterpart Yildirim, President Erdogan

Istanbul, August 26 (BTA Special Correspondent Genka Ivanova) -  Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his delegation arrived in Istanbul on Friday.

He is visiting in connection with the inauguration of the third bridge over the Bosporus.

Transport, Information Technology and Communications Minister Ivaylo Moskovski and  Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov are accompanying Borissov.

Conferring with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim, the Bulgarian Prime Minister discussed the migrant crisis in Europe and its impact on the countries experiencing the strongest pressure.

Borissov said: "Despite the pressure from illegal migrants, ethnic peace in Bulgaria is stable. All ethnic groups are represented at all levels of government. The Cabinet regularly provides considerable financing for the restoration of places of worship of all religions and for road and social infrastructure across the country. This contributes to the equal development of all the regions."

"Exceedingly hard months lie ahead for us, but I hope that we will find a way out of this stalemate with the will of the EU and Turkey," the guest said, emerging from his session with Yildirim.

"Despite our wonderful bilateral relations, I was not reassured," Borissov said, thanking the Turkish side for the commitment assumed to ease the migrant pressure.

After the talks between the two heads of government, Borissov pointed out that there are quite a few messages that he must share with his EU colleagues at Saturday's meeting in Berlin. "I even took copious notes," he added.

Be it bad or good, this agreement "decreased manifold the migrants' pressure on Europe," the Bulgarian PM said, referring to the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement. He recalled that the document was adopted with the consent of all Member States.

Borissov cannot image how Bulgaria could possibly receive thousands of migrants returned from Europe, adding that he will not agree, either, that "Bulgaria should be a buffer between Turkey and Europe".

"We have assumed a commitment, we have voted in the agreement and, claiming to be law-governed states, we must honour our commitments," he commented.

He stressed that Bulgaria wants to solve the problem - but not at the expense of Greece or any other country whatsoever. "We want European unity and protection of the sovereignty of each European country, not at the expense of another," the PM added.

Yildirim pointed out that solving the problem with migrants between Bulgaria and Turkey does not imply that the problem will be entirely solved.

"Turkey is hosting over 3 million migrants, we are catering for their needs because this is our tradition, but it should be borne in mind that the problem is regional and global," the Turkish Prime Minister said. "The time has come for our European friends to assume a greater responsibility," he added.

Yildirim hopes that the EU visa facilitation agreement will enter into force at the end of October - a condition that Turkey sets in order to continue to implement the agreement on stopping the migrants from entering Europe.

Opening their statements, the two Prime Ministers expressed condolences to the families bereaved by the latest terrorist bombing in Turkey on Friday.

Conferring with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace later on Friday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said, quoted by the Government Information Service, that "together, if there is a will on the part of the EU and Turkey, we can find a way out of the migrant crisis."

According to the head of government, months-long exceedingly difficult negotiations are forthcoming in search of the right decisions that must be taken on the basis of solidarity among the EU Member States and in dialogue with the Turkish side. "I am convinced that Europe and Turkey together will substantially enhance stability in the region," he stressed.

He does not think that the 'every-country-for-itself' approach is correct because it runs counter to the European principles. "We show solidarity, and I call on the Visegrad Group to follow suit," he pointed out, adding: "We can solve the migrants problem for Bulgaria alone even today, but I don't want this to be at the expense of Greece or other European countries."

Borissov familiarized the Turkish head of State with the action Bulgaria is taking after the award of the Arbitration Court in Geneva in connection with the Belene N-plant project and with the major energy projects that can be implemented. The Prime Minister stressed the opportunities that the building of a gas distribution centre in Bulgarian territory open up for the countries of the region and Europe.

During the meeting, Erdogan thanked Bulgaria for its position after the attempted coup in Turkey.