site.btaAustria Favours and Will Support Bulgaria's Schengen Accession - Foreign Minister Kneissl Says

Sofia, January 18 (BTA) - Austria is in favour of Bulgaria's Schengen accession and will support it, said here on Thursday Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who is paying a visit to Sofia, where she conferred with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva. This is one of Kneissl's first visits abroad a month after taking office.

Austria's top diplomat recalled the increased migrant pressure on Bulgaria in 2015 and 2016, which she described as difficult times that were successfully overcome. Commenting migration and asylum provision, Kneissl said her country believes that a broad reform is needed, so that the protection of EU external borders can be guaranteed. According to her, Member States who are external borders cannot be left alone.

Zaharieva said the two have discussed the Western Balkans and have the common understanding that the European perspective for the countries in the region is the only opportunity for their stability, prosperity and democracy. "We will work together with Austria in that direction," she said.

The two foreign ministers also discussed asylum policy and the changes to the Dublin Regulation, for which, to use Zaharieva's words, the Bulgarian EU Presidency will do everything possible to achieve a common approach and consensus on this long-discussed and difficult to agree on dossier.

Zaharieva underscored that the new refugee and migration policy must be drafted a way that would make sure it works in times of crisis, so that the need to take urgent measures concerning refugee relocation and quotas can be avoided, as was the case in 2015, when opinions in the EU were divided. The Bulgarian EU Presidency will also focus on achieving consensus on this dossier, while looking ahead to the future, so that the new policy can function both when things are normal and in times of crisis, she explained.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister also said that she and Kneissl have agreed to constantly exchange information, so that there are no pauses between the Bulgarian and Austrian EU presidencies this year concerning the continuation of policies of importance to the EU and the two countries.

Taking a question, Zaharieva said that there are many common moments in the two countries' positions on Turkey, such as this state being a very important partner in the fight against terrorism and the refugee crisis. Since the 2016 EU-Turkey agreement, the refugee and illegal migrants pressure on the Bulgarian border has dropped by 84 per cent, she added. Kneissl said that she is about to visit Istanbul and meet with her Turkish counterpart.

Zaharieva and Kneissl discussed the bilateral relations, which the Bulgarian Foreign Minister described as traditionally good and friendly. "Austria is one of Bulgaria's most important partners from which we have always received support, and now we have common priorities and we are together in the EU Council Presidency Trio," Zaharieva said.

Kneissl gave a positive mark to the priority topics of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, putting an emphasis on how the youth is in its focus, as well as the important matter of the Western Balkans. She described the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation between Bulgaria and Macedonia, which Bulgaria ratified on Thursday, as a good example of how two neighbouring countries can show goodneighbourly relations without interfering in each other's affairs.

At their meeting, Kneissl and President Roumen Radev agreed that Bulgaria and Austria will work towards consistency of the EU policies and all topics on the European agenda within their consecutive presidencies of the EU Council, the head of State's press secretariat reported.

Radev underscored Austria's significance as an economic and investment partner of Bulgaria, and called for deepening of the bilateral relations in the area of science, education and culture.

The Bulgarian President congratulated Kneissl on her birthday.