Bulgarian, Romanian Interior Ministers Celebrate Full Schengen Membership

UPDATED Bulgarian, Romanian Interior Ministers Celebrate Full Schengen Membership

Diana Dukovska, BTA correspondent Martin Penev

Pictured from left: Romania's Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu, Bulgaria's Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov and Bulgaria's Ambassador to Romania Radko Vlaykov celebrate the two countries' full membership of Schengen at the Danube Bridge, Ruse, January 1, 2025 (BTA Photo/Andrey Kyuchukov)

Danube Bridge - Ruse,

01.01.2025 00:04 | UPDATED 01.01.2025 01:58

(BTA)

Bulgaria's Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov and his Romanian counterpart Catalin Predoiu symbolically raised the barrier at the Danube Bridge border crossing between Ruse and Giurgiu at 12:01am on Wednesday. This act marked the full membership of the two countries in the Schengen free-travel area as land border controls were lifted as of January 1, 2025.

Addressing the Romanian guests, Atanas Ilkov said: "It is an extraordinary pleasure, responsibility and privilege for me to be here with you today. We have worked together for over 17 years to achieve this goal. We faced many challenges, but we succeeded, and today we can celebrate this success."

"For both countries, this is a historic success we achieved together through trust," said the Bulgarian Interior Minister. He thanked his Romanian counterpart for the invitation to mark the occasion at the border crossing and for the efforts made to achieve "this long-coveted goal." Ilkov also thanked Bulgarian and Romanian officials at the interior ministries for years of hard work.

For his part, Catalin Predoiu said: "Bulgaria and Romania have completed a project significant not only for the two countries but for Europe." He said this was a historic moment and a very important milestone for the economic sector and for the citizens of both countries. With the support of European partners, Bulgaria and Romania once again demonstrated that the EU is a living entity, the Romanian Interior Minister said.

Bulgaria's Border Police Director, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, said that the major progress achieved over the last year and a half was due to a significant increase in trust. "We have a very high level of trust with our neighbors and with all other West European partners from the EU and Frontex [the European Border and Coast Guard Agency]. Bulgaria and Romania's ministries of interior and Border Police forces are in the best possible condition due to the many tests and challenges we have been through in recent years. Our performance is of a very high standard, and this is appreciated by our European partners," Zlatanov added.

Bulgaria's Ambassador to Romania, Radko Vlaykov, said this is a historic moment for the two countries. "I believe this will highlight the level of communication and everything we have initiated within the framework of a strategic partnership signed by the Presidents of the two countries on March 15, 2023. I hope the new Romanian government will establish contact with a potential new Bulgarian government and they will work towards achieving all goals," Vlaykov said.

During the ceremony, an orchestra played the two national anthems. The event was attended by representatives of institutions of the two countries.

The entry of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen was celebrated at the border crossing with champagne and fireworks. The local government of Ruse will give out cookies engraved with "BG-RO Schengen" to the first 1,000 passengers who cross the border.

While internal air- and maritime-border checks were removed from March 31, 2024, the EU Member States decided on December 12 to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from January 1, 2025.

By the end of 2024, all people and vehicles crossing the Danube Bridge were subject to a full mandatory check. As of January 1, cars travelling to Romania pay a bridge toll on the Bulgarian side, cross the bridge, and only a small part of them will be subject to checks on the Romanian side under the risk analysis method. The procedure will be mirrored for those travelling in the opposite direction, said Commissioner Dimitar Chorbadzhiev, head of the Ruse Border Police Regional Directorate.

This also applies to heavy goods vehicles. Those crossing into Romania pay a bridge toll on the Bulgarian side and only some of them will be checked on Romanian territory.

/DD/