site.btaBulgaria to Take Over Salzburg Forum Presidency from July 1

Within the framework of his participation in the Salzburg Forum Ministerial Conference on Wednesday, caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov presented the priority topics which Bulgaria will coordinate within the joint work of the initiative in the next six months. Among them he singled out the fight against migrant smuggling - a criminal phenomenon that has seen sustained development in recent years and requires a comprehensive response at the European, regional and national level, as well as the timely and effective implementation of the various tools for cross-border police cooperation and information exchange, said the line ministry on Wednesday.

"When formulating the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency, we were guided by the principle of continuity in the topics we will work on. Given the period of transition to the new institutional cycle of the European Union, it is important that the views of our countries find a place among the pan-European priorities," said Stoyanov.

The Interior Minister expressed gratitude to Minister Gerhard Karner and the Austrian Presidency for the active work during the past six months and confirmed his commitment that Bulgaria will continue active communication with the new European Commission in the context of the new EU strategic agenda.

During the Salzburg Forum Ministerial Conference, friends of the Salzburg Forum from the Western Balkans were included in the discussions. Discussions focused on finding common solutions and strategies to deal with migration and the fight against migrant smuggling. 

Stoyanov shared the need to take comprehensive measures to reduce migration pressure as a condition for achieving good management of migration processes. "In Bulgaria, the fight against migrant smuggling is a priority. We have strengthened our capacity, strengthened the exchange of information and are actively cooperating both at the EU level and with key third countries", Minister Stoyanov reported on Bulgaria's purposeful actions. 

He noted that a wide range of participants, including the countries of origin and transit, should be included in the general efforts to limit illegal migration and create legal opportunities for access to the EU. Strengthening returns is another key area of ​​cooperation. The Interior Minister also noted that the partners from the Western Balkans are part of the pan-European solution, and in this sense Bulgaria will continue to work to increase the effectiveness of cooperation in the region. Bulgaria has always advocated the position of broad participation of the countries of the Western Balkans in the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), he added, noting that Bulgaria is co-leader of two activities from the Operational Action Plan for 2024-2025, one of which is dedicated to the Western Balkans.

At the end of the Salzburg Forum Ministerial Conference, Minister Stoyanov participated in a joint press conference with the Minister of the Interior of Slovenia and the Federal Minister of the Interior of Austria. The three ministers, former, current and future chair of the Salzburg Forum, presented the topics discussed and the results of the work of the ministerial conference.

In response to journalistic questions, Stoyanov presented the migration situation in Bulgaria and highlighted the permanent trend of decreasing migration pressure on the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

Minister Karner also noted a change in the migration situation in Austria, thanking Bulgaria for the measures it implements to protect the external borders.