site.btaInterior Minister Atanas Ilkov Holds Working Meeting with US Ambassador Kenneth Merten

At a meeting with US Ambassador Kenneth Merten, Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov said that Bulgaria and the US share a long-standing strategic partnership in the field of internal affairs and have built mutual trust and sustainable cooperation. The Ministry of Interior maintains effective contacts with all US law enforcement agencies, with border security and the fight against terrorism being a particular priority in the joint work, Minister Ilkov said at the beginning of the meeting, as quoted by his Ministry in a press release on Tuesday.

The  Interior Minister recalled Bulgaria's achievements in securing the EU’s external borders, with a sustained trend of reducing migration pressure by over 70%. This is a result of both national-level measures and strategic cooperation with the Republic of Turkiye.

Ambassador Merten congratulated Bulgaria on its achievements on the path to Schengen and highly appreciated the efforts made. He expressed gratitude for the good interaction between the two countries and confirmed the US’s commitment to continuing cooperation in the field of internal affairs.

During the working meeting, participants discussed the new equipment provided by the US Department of Homeland Security to enhance border security, which will improve Bulgaria’s ability to identify individuals who have entered or resided illegally in the country, as well as to establish their possible connection to terrorism or serious criminal activity.

This initiative is further evidence of the two countries' shared commitment to ensuring the security of their citizens, stressed Ambassador Merten. On his part, Minister Ilkov thanked Merten for the technical support provided. He expressed confidence that this will be another step towards upgrading the partnership between Bulgaria and the US and will contribute to achieving visa liberalization in the near future.

Ambassador Merten and Department of Homeland Security Attaché to Bulgaria Rene Valenzuela presented the Minister of Interior with upgraded equipment to assist the Bulgarian government’s efforts in identifying serious criminals and known or suspected terrorists, the US Embassy said in a press release. The delivery of this next-generation equipment will enhance Bulgaria’s capability to identify individuals who have entered or stayed in Bulgaria illegally and determine if they have a connection with terrorism or serious criminal activity, the press release reads. The new equipment and continuing technical assistance are part of a US-Bulgaria programme that the Department of Homeland Security implements with partner agencies within the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior.