site.btaUPDATED Dutch PM Rutte Optimistic that Bulgaria Can Become Full Member of Schengen by 2025

Replying to a media question about Bulgaria's Schengen membership Thursday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, “I am optimistic that Bulgaria can become a full member of Schengen by the end of 2024. I am really very proud of what Bulgaria has achieved and I will do everything that depends on me.”

On the issue of Bulgaria's euro area membership, PM Rutte also expressed optimism, but stressed that Bulgaria has to meet the criteria and he will comply with the EC's decision on the issue.

Bulgarian PM Nikolay Denkov is on a one-day visit to The Hague together with Defence Minister Todor Tagarev. The two prime ministers are discussing issues of bilateral interest and the European agenda, including security issues in the European Union. The talks also covered key priorities for Bulgaria, such as its Schengen entry by land this year and its membership of the euro area from January 1, 2025.

Rutte thanked Denkov for the visit on Thursday and said he was confident that relations between the two countries are getting better. Imports of Bulgarian products to the Netherlands are worth EUR 1.5 billion. The two countries are working together at EU and NATO level, Rutte stressed. He drew attention to Bulgaria's support for Ukraine and the importance of Bulgaria as NATO's eastern flank. The Dutch Prime Minister also noted Bulgaria’s achievements regarding air policing, which included Dutch F 35 aircraft and marines stationed at Bulgarian air bases. According to Rutte, the problem of disinformation and Moscow's attempts to influence and divide Bulgarian society should not be ignored. He was adamant that the problem of disinformation shows once again that the war in Ukraine goes far beyond the borders drawn on the map.

“For the Netherlands, the common market is a core value of the European Union, it is the foundation of its prosperity, and countries must resist impulses and attempts to impose protectionism. We need to improve the common market and our position towards the development of digital and clean technologies,” The Dutch Prime Minister said. According to him, ahead of the European Council scheduled for March, Bulgaria and the Netherlands share the same concerns and face the same challenges related to the state of the Union.