site.btaBulgaria's Interior Minister Confers with Austria's Ambassador

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Daniel Mitov has conferred with Austria’s Ambassador in Sofia Andrea Ikic-Bohm, Mitov’s Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

The sides highly praised bilateral cooperation on home affairs, highlighting its effectiveness. Minister Mitov said that the dialogue between Bulgaria and Austria will remain open and constructive, expressing readiness to build on existing successful practices, including the excellent cooperation with the Austrian Embassy in Sofia.

Ambassador Ikic-Bohm said that Bulgaria is an important partner of Austria in addressing shared challenges such as illegal migration. She expressed her country's strong support for Bulgaria's efforts to secure the EU's external borders and combat migrant smuggling.

The talks also centred on Bulgaria's full integration into the Schengen area following the abolition of land border controls on January 1, 2025. Mitov praised Austria's active involvement in the joint border protection contingent at the Bulgarian-Turkish border, which was officially launched on February 3. This initiative is a clear sign of European solidarity and strengthened cooperation in border security, the press release read.

The meeting concluded with the sides reaffirming their commitment to fostering constructive dialogue and deepening bilateral cooperation on home affairs.