site.btaUPDATED Estonia Backs Bulgaria's Full Schengen Entry, Eurozone Accession

Estonia supports the enlargement of NATO and the European Union, as well as Bulgaria's full membership in Schengen, said Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna at a press conference here on Friday, which took place after a meeting with Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel. Tsahkna is on an official visit to Bulgaria at Gabriel's invitation.

During the press conference, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister added that Estonia supports Bulgaria in its bid to join the eurozone. Gabriel reiterated that Bulgaria aims to become part of the euro area on January 1, 2025. The meeting covered topics on the bilateral and also the Euro-Atlantic agenda, the Deputy Prime Minister noted and thanked Estonia for its support for Bulgaria’s Schengen bid. In 2024 Bulgaria will continue its efforts to abolish land border controls, Gabriel said.

Tsahkna and Gabriel pointed out that Bulgaria and Estonia have traditionally good relations. The Estonian Foreign Minister said that the two countries should support the same goals - peace in Europe and a new security architecture. He described Russia, which borders Estonia, as an aggressor, as can be seen from the war in Ukraine.

Gabriel noted that the two countries have enhanced cooperation in recent years.

Tsahkna thanked Bulgaria for the aid provided to Ukraine and added that continuing to provide such aid is vital. He said that the promise made to Ukraine is essential for Europe and for achieving peace. He added that any kind of support and long-term commitments could contribute to peace in the future.

Bulgaria will continue to support Ukraine as much as necessary, Gabriel said.

According to the Minister, it is important to work towards membership in the euro area, as Estonia knows from experience that this is a stable economic union. Full membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development is also an important issue, and we are a big supporter of this goal as well, he added.

The meeting was a good opportunity to strengthen cooperation in a number of key areas. The area of digitization and e-government was highlighted very strongly. “We discussed the interest of Estonian companies for investment presence in Bulgaria in areas related to new technologies and innovation. Estonia is the digital champion of Europe,” Gabriel said. According to her, it is important to focus on investing and developing digital infrastructure. Cybersecurity was also among the topics of discussion between the two ministers.

"The two strategic areas where we will seek cooperation are energy and defence," Gabriel added.