Bulgaria, Italy Urge Fairer Spreading of Migration Burden Within EU

Bulgaria and Italy expect a fairer distribution of the burden of migration and asylum within the EU, Bulgaria's Deputy Minister Rumen Alexandrov has said following a meeting in Sofia with Italy's Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Benedetto Della Vedova.

Speaking at a joint briefing with Alexandrov, Della Vedova agreed that the issues related to illegal migration and asylum cannot be solely a problem for Italy and Bulgaria but should be a central issue for the entire European Union.

Bulgaria and Italy, both of which are part of the Union's external border, are particularly strongly affected by the recent surge in the number of illegal migrants fleeing areas of armed conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.

Therefore,"I hope that we will be able to present specific joint legislative proposals on the subject," Alexandrov said, according to a Tuesday press release of Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry.

"We share a common vision for the reasons that led to the current situation and we believe that a sincere and open discussion should be held within the EU in order to develop new efficient instruments," Della Vedova said.

The EU's energy security and economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Italy were also on the agenda of the meeting.

Alexandrov said both countries see as a priority the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor including the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), in which Italy is actively involved. The construction of the European Energy Union is a priority for Bulgaria and the government relies on Italy's support for the implementation of Bulgaria's gas links with Greece, he added.

The TAP has been designed to transport Caspian natural gas to Europe. Connecting with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Greek...