Bulgarian Deputy PM: Schengen Area Has to be Consolidated

According to Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva, at present the Schengen Area was in such a state that there were two possible outcomes.

In her words, the borderless area could be either consolidated or else it would disappear, she said in an interview for private bTV station on Tuesday.

Kuneva pointed that she is in favour of consolidating the Schengen Area in order to avoid tough political and economic consequences.

She was firm that Frontex has to be strengthened in the direction of providing common guard of the external borders of the Union.

The Bulgarian deputy prime minister pointed that the EU has a common currency, common legislation, so the next step was to provide common guard of the borders, which would enhance security.

Kuneva expressed regret that in the beginning of this year Bulgaria was not active enough to achieve its accession to the Schengen Area.

According to her, Bulgaria began the year with lower self-confidence and fewer coordinated efforts with Romania.

As regards, the refugee crisis, Kuneva quoted a recent statement by the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte that Europe has to stop the refugees if it is to avoid repeating the fate of the Roman Empire.

In her opinion, Europe has to make maximum efforts and to clearly set a limit on the reception of migrants.

Kuneva added that the agreement between the EU and Turkey reached at the summit in Brussels on Sunday, was a step in the right direction towards solving the crisis.