site.btaPeter Szijjarto: Hungary Will Continue Supporting Bulgaria's Schengen Membership

February 12 (BTA) -  Hungarian Foreign and Trade
Minister Peter Szijjarto praised highly Bulgarian-Hungarian
relations, focusing on the political and economic ties, the
Council of Ministers said on Tuesday.

At a joint news conference after meeting with Deputy Prime
Minister Mariana Nikolova, who is responsible for Economic and
Demographic Policy, Szijjarto reiterated Hungary's unconditional
 support for Bulgaria's entry in the Schengen area.

"We will continue providing technical support for the protection
 of Bulgaria borders, which are also the EU's outer borders,"
Szijjarto said, stressing that Bulgaria is doing exceptionally
well in protecting those borders.

Deputy PM Nikolova noted that Bulgaria appreciates the support
and added that Hungary is an important partner to Bulgaria in
the EU, with similar positions on major topics such as the
European perspective of the Western Balkans and Cohesion Policy.

Nikolova said: "Our bilateral relations can be defined in one
word: friendship. They are characterized by intensive dialogue
at all levels, as well as by interaction on a wide range of
bilateral, European and international matters."

Mariana Nikolova is on a two-day visit to Budapest at the
invitation of the Hungarian government. RY/DT