site.btaBulgaria to Insist on Much More Significant Support from EU for Refugees

Bulgaria to Insist on
Much More Significant
Support from EU for Refugees


Brussels, January 19 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) -
Bulgaria is subjected to a very strong pressure because of
refugees and illegal immigrants, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov
Monday told Bulgarian journalists in Brussels, where he took
part in a EU Foreign Affairs Council. He said that Bulgaria will
insist on much more significant support from the EU for the
refugees' accommodation.

"The increased border control measures are giving results, but
we fear that in case of more serious pressure we will need more
partner support, and we should already start preparing to demand
such support," Mitov told journalists. Bulgaria is one of the
countries with the highest number of asylum applications, yet it
is down on the list of the European Refugee Fund, he went on to
say. "Therefore, we will insist on achieving balance in this
respect. On the other hand, we also ask for technical, financial
and expert assistance," he said. It should be evaluated where
such assistance is most needed and when it will be the most
useful, he added.

"The fact that we have a serious commitment to safeguarding the
EU's external borders and that we are doing it well according to
our partners' assessment, means that we are increasing our
chances to enter Schengen," Mitov said in reply to a question.
"We keep insisting that the European Commission's Cooperation
and Verification Mechanism should not be linked to this topic
but, unfortunately, such a link exists in the way of thinking of
some of our partners, and we are working on overcoming it," he
said. Mitov stressed that Bulgaria's efforts to join Schengen
cannot be ignored. "We have both the will and the means to start
overcoming the known deficits, but this requires time, efforts
and the overcoming of certain resistances," Mitov said.

Answering a question by a Russian journalist, Mitov said that
Bulgaria does not see a reason for easing or lifting the
sanctions against Russia. The Foreign Minister said he is deeply
convinced that the situation will change at a given moment and
that the Russian people do not deserve what is currently
happening. The EU realizes that it must comprehensively
reformulate its views regarding the dialogue with Russia in the
future, given what is happening in Ukraine. There is a long
history of a different type of conflicts before that, and the
relations with Russia must be reviewed comprehensively and
reformatted, the communications channels must be retained in
light of the global challenges, such as terrorism, the situation
in Syria, the Islamic State, negotiations with Iran, he added.

Mitov noted that the Council of the European Union calls for the
implementation of the Minsk Agreement and for Russia to change
its policy towards Eastern Ukraine. The situation there must be
stabilized and the Minsk Agreement enforced for there to be a
development in the relations with the EU, he said. Mitov noted
that the EU remains united in defending the values of the
European and Transatlantic Community. In no way could Crimea be
seen as being excluded from the sanctions' formula, he went on
to explain.

Commenting the fight against terrorism, Mitov said that an
agreement is observed that all in the EU must improve their
dialogue with countries from the Middle East and North Africa.
"We are all threatened by terrorism and radical Islam, the
states from these two regions must, in cooperation with us,
fight against this phenomenon," he said.

PK/DS, MY

/ДЛ/