site.btaDeputy PM Kuneva Confers with Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Asselborn

Deputy PM Kuneva Confers with Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Asselborn

Sofia, June 3 (BTA) - Deputy Prime Minister for European Policy
and Institutional Affairs Meglena Kuneva conferred on Wednesday
with Luxembourg's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean Asselborn at the
Grand Duchy, Cabinet's service reported. Kuneva said that
Bulgaria's Schengen accession is supported by Luxembourg, which
is next to hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Schengen dominated the discussion between the two and the
Luxembourgish side stated a firm commitment to support
Bulgaria's efforts for joining the Schengen area during their
Presidency.

The two discussed Luxembourg's upcoming EU Presidency and the
opportunities for exchanging experience in light of the upcoming
Bulgarian Presidency in 2018, which will be this country's
first. The possibility to send Bulgarian experts for training in
Luxembourg's institutions during the second half of 2015 was
also reviewed.

Kuneva and Asselborn discussed the European Commission's
proposal to redistribute migrants, with both sides expressing
reservations about the criteria for this process. The Bulgarian
Deputy PM noted that Bulgaria will insist on specifying the
weight of the conditions proposed by the Commission in light of
the economic situation and unemployment in Member States. She
was adamant that Bulgaria is also an external border and
subjected to strong migration pressure.

On the meeting's agenda was also the situation in Macedonia and
the latest developments, which lead to scheduling early
elections in April of 2016. Kuneva noted the importance of
Macedonia's European perspective and the need for conducting
reforms there.