site.btaDeputy Prime Minister Kuneva: Bulgaria May Join Schengen First with Air, Maritime Borders

Deputy Prime Minister Kuneva: Bulgaria May Join Schengen First with Air, Maritime Borders

Brussels/Sofia, September 20 (BTA) - EU's efforts to protect its external borders won't be efficient unless Bulgaria joins the Schengen area, Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva told a EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on Tuesday. She added that Bulgaria may join the visa-free area with its air and maritime borders first.

Kuneva noted that Bulgaria is making huge efforts to control EU's external border and thanked the EU member countries and EU institutions for their support and the financial aid of 108 million euro.

Deputy Prime Minister underscored the significance of the EU-Turkey Statement to tackle the migrant crisis and said that the new partnership framework on migration should include a number of Asian countries and mainly Afghanistan.

Bulgaria calls for an efficient reform of the Common European Asylum Policy which will ensure a just, efficient and sustainable system for the distribution of asylum applications among EU members. Kuneva added that the European Asylum System could function only if efforts are coordinated for asylum seekers and refugees that have been granted protection.

Kuneva also raised the issue for scrapping visas for Bulgarian citizens with regard to the CETA Agreement.