site.btaPlevneliev, EP President Martin Schulz Expect Progress on Canadian Visas Issue

Plevneliev, EP President Martin Schulz Expect Progress on Canadian Visas Issue

Brussels/Strasbourg, June 8 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - European Parliament (EP) President Martin Schulz and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev Wednesday said they expected progress in the negotiations with Canada on extending visa-free travel to Bulgarian citizens. The two gave a joint news conference in Strasbourg where Plevneliev addressed the EP earlier in the day.

Schulz said he had informed the Bulgarian President about the results of his recent visit to Canada. Bulgaria's vote will be needed when the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) comes before the EP for a vote and the outstanding visa issue will have to be solved before that, said Schulz.

He added that talks with the prime ministers of Bulgaria and Canada left him with the impression that their positions were becoming closer in a constructive manner. He said that he was in close contact with the Canadian government and that he had discussed possible future action with Plevneliev.

The EP has clearly and repeatedly stated its position in favour of Bulgaria's Schengen membership, Plevneliev said. The Agreement with Canada is one more example of support, Europe and the EP are part of the solution. He said he was optimistic that agreement would be reached in the coming days.

Answering questions about Britain's referendum and the possible consequences of its outcome on the future of Bulgarian immigrants, Plevneliev said that Bulgarians contribute wherever they are. "I remember January 1, 2015 when a British minister was waiting at an airport to see the wave of Bulgarians and Romanians and nobody came. As a member of the EU my nation has never been more free," he said

Plevneliev added that in Germany, as in Britain, the unemployed Bulgarians (as a percentage - correspondent's note) are less than the unemployed Germans and are, in a sense, better integrated than the local people.

He said there are 45,000 Bulgarians in Britain, compared to 300,000 in Spain, 200,000 in Greece, 450,000 in the United States and about 200,000 in Germany. He also said he wished they would return to their country and he was working for this. Bulgaria is modernizing, its economy is growing, jobs are being created, and some Bulgarians do return because the State is opening new opportunities.

"I truly believe that this potential danger of Brexit is not going to happen," the Bulgarian President said. He expressed a hope that the outcome of the referendum would be positive for the pro-Europeans and the interests of the British people, and that Britain's vote to remain would boost the EU. "Isolated, anyone of us cannot be a factor in the world," he said.

Schulz said he hoped the Remain campaign would be successful. Britain is the second largest economy and a permanent veto power on the UN Security Council. The EU with the United Kingdom in it is strong, he said, expressing a hope that the pragmatic vote of the majority will be to stay in the EU. Nevertheless, if the majority of British citizens vote to leave, the government will have to respect their opinion.