site.btaPrime Minister Wants to See Progress about Land Borders in Prospective Schengen Deal

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov expects to see progress on the matter of land borders in addition to an Austrian-proposed arrangement to lift only air and sea borders as Bulgaria is integrated into the Schengen area. "We are exchanging possible versions of a decision. The latest version they [the Austrians] have sent us includes the air and sea borders," Denkov said on Nova TV on Sunday.

He insisted that Bulgaria should not accept an Austrian decision in which land borders are not mentioned at all. "Progress must be made about the land borders, whether by setting a specific date or defining a mechanism to resolve the issue. We will see. The point is that we should not stay hostage to decisions influenced by mere political expediency such as elections or no elections in a given country."

Commenting on Hungary's warning to veto Bulgaria's Schengen entry unless it lifts the fee on Russian natural gas transit, the Prime Minister said: "The suspension of Parliament's work makes it impossible to vote on major issues."

"We held preliminary talks. We said the fee would be abolished on Friday. By that time Hungary had not raised the issue officially. They did that after the [new Bulgarian] decision failed to pass within the deadline we had set. I hope it passes on Monday. It is essential that no one keep the National Assembly from working. The problem with Hungary will end as soon as we abolish the fee on Russian gas."

Referring to another hurdle, Denkov said he expects the Parliament in The Hague to approve the proposed reversal of the Netherlands veto of Bulgaria's Schengen entry. "The Netherlands veto last year actually prevented us from joining Schengen. Its [proposed] reversal has not come about easily at all, it has taken quite a lot of work over the last few months."

Replying to a question about a planned cabinet rotation between the two political forces behind the Bulgarian government, Denkov said he is working very well with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, who is expected to become the next rotating prime minister.  He acknowledged Gabriel's active role on the matter of Schengen. "I am positive that Mariya Gabriel should be the next prime minister," he added.

He suggested that the Soviet Army Monument in Sofia, which is being dismantled, should be moved to the Museum of Socialist Art in the capital. "I have no doubt that, first, there is a clear legal decision to move the monument, and second, there are documents prescribing how to do that," Denkov said. He noted that the monument is a propaganda tool of no cultural value.

Denkov described the hijacking of the Bulgarian-owned and partly Bulgarian-manned bulk carrier Ruen as an act of piracy. He said that the ship, which was boarded on Thursday off Yemen's Socotra Island, is close to the coast of Somalia. He expects ransom negotiations.