site.bta PM Borissov in Brussels: Joining Schengen Area Should be Returned on Agenda

PM Borissov in Brussels: Joining Schengen Area Should be Returned on Agenda

Brussels, December 4 (BTA corr. Nikolay Jeliazkov) - "The
question of [joining] the Schengen Area should be returned on
the agenda," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told
Bulgarian reporters here on Thursday, after a meeting with
President of the European People's Party (EPP) Joseph Daul.
Present at the meeting which was held in EPP's headquarters,
were also Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva and
President of the Party of the European Socialists Sergei
Stanishev.

Borisov and Daul said that the South Stream gas pipeline project
 was discussed in their talks. Daul said that Europe will not
give in to Russian President Vladimir Putin's propaganda in
Bulgaria and in the rest of Europe. The EPP President added that
 a decision on the matter must be made at European level.

Borissov for his part voiced a hope to receive "a clearer"
position from the European Commission. The Bulgarian Prime
Minister expressed indignation at a recent statement of an EC
spokesperson that the EC was only monitoring the South Stream
project. Borissov said he has read the document whereby Bulgaria
 delegates all rights for this project to the EC. He said it was
 a totally different matter whether Bulgaria is entitled to
compensations from scrapping the project or whether this is laid
 down in the agreement. "I want from the EC yes/no answers to
the questions, what can be done and what not," Borissov said.
The Prime Minister reiterated his position that it is no
diversification if Bulgaria receives gas from the same deposit
but via Greece and Turkey. "I am still pained that Bulgaria was
bypassed by Nabucco-West gas pipeline. If we had it, we would
have had no problems," he said.

On Wednesday evening Borissov conferred with Elmar Brok,
Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European
Parliament, the government's information service said in a press
 release.

The two officials conferred after Borissov
arrived in Brussels on a working visit. The main topic of the
talks was the situation of the South Stream gas pipeline
project.

Borissov said that Bulgaria has always supported the
implementation of the gas pipeline but only provided that all
requirements of the European and Bulgarian legislation are
strictly complied with. He also stressed that Bulgaria will not
allow being used as a bargaining chip in the relations between
Russia and the West. "I expect the EU leaders to protect the
interests of Bulgaria too in the talks between Russia and the
EU," Borissov said.

On Thursday in Brussels Borissov is also scheduled to confer
with
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European
Council President Donald Tusk, European Parliament President
Martin Schulz.