site.btaVisiting Czech Prime Minister Babis Confers with Prime Minister Borissov, President Radev

Sofia, January 22 (BTA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis held a working meeting here on Monday.

Emerging from the meeting, the guest told a news briefing that he wonders why countries like Greece are in Schengen while Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia are not. He added that by the policy it implements, Bulgaria has deserved to be part of the Schengen Area.

Babis said that Borissov and he discussed the subjects of common concern in Europe. He is glad that at this point precisely Bulgaria holds the EU Council Presidency because Europe is faced with very important and fundamental issues that need to be addressed. In his words, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic share a lot of common views on these issues.

The Czech head of government was adamant that the Dublin Regulation does not work effectively, especially in the part concerning the relocation of asylum seekers. Babis was indignant that this regulation was adopted at interior minister level. That is why he hopes that a revision of the regulation will start as early as during the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency.

Borissov agreed with his counterpart that the Dublin Regulation does not work effectively. That is why a compromise option should be found. He insists that asylum seekers should enter the EU only through the official border checkpoints. Borissov also called for support by diplomatic means of the peace process in the asylum seekers' countries of origin, which would facilitate their return. The Bulgarian Prime Minister further proposes the setting up of safe areas for asylum seekers outside the EU. In his opinion, the agreement with Turkey must be extended. Also in his opinion, normalizing relations with Turkey secures more reliably that country's participation in NATO.

The two PMs also discussed cohesion funds. According to Babis, Member States should have a greater say on these funds.

Borissov and Babis concurred on the great importance of a uniform food standard as an issue deserving special attention. The topic will be on the agenda of an enlarged Council meeting in Sofia in April.

Later in the day, Babis also conferred with President Rumen Radev, the head of State's Press Secretariat said. Boosting two-way trade, future cooperation in science and education and the positions that the two countries share within the European Union topped the agenda. The President thanked the Czech Republic for consistently supporting Bulgaria's bid to join the Schengen Area and for the experience shared in the preparations for the first Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council.

Radev and Babis concurred that the European asylum system needs to be revised so as to reduce to a minimum migrants' illegal access to the European countries. The Bulgarian head of State and the Czech head of government expressed their countries' readiness to actively share in common European defence initiatives and agreed to pool their efforts for keeping EU Cohesion Policy.

For his part, Babis backed future initiatives for more vigorous cooperation and dialogue between the Visegrad Four and Bulgaria.