Bulgaria, Greece Defence Ministers Urge Closer Cooperation in Tackling Migration Crisis

The defence ministers of Bulgaria and Greece have discussed the need to hold talks at the level of contact groups from the two countries' armed forces about joint tackling of the migration pressure at EU borders.

They have also agreed that the forthcoming informal meeting of the ministers of defence and foreign affairs in Luxembourg should define EU-wide coordinating action to ensure compliance with the EU-Turkey deal aimed at curbing the migrant inflow to Europe.

"We support Greece'sefforts to control the migration flow to and from its territory," Bulgaria's Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said after talks with his Greek counterpart Panos Kammenos in Athens on Thursday, according to a statement from the Defence Ministry in Sofia.

Nenchev has also said that both Bulgaria and Greece should be prepared for an increase in migratory pressure at their borders, which will require intensified cooperation and  comprehensive contacts at expert level.

The Bulgarian defence minister has informed his Greek counterpart about conducted and planned joint training exercises of Bulgarian troops and police aimed at improving coordination in preventing unauthorized crossing of Bulgaria's borders.

"The refugee problem is Europe-wide and we believe that all countries should join forces to solve it. It is necessary to act in solidarity and to seek mechanisms to assist the countries whichbear the brunt of migration pressure," Nenchev said, according to the statement.

Nikolay Nenchev has already met with his counterparts from Macedonia, Serbia and Romania to discuss areas of potential cooperation in tackling the migration crisis.

At their talks in Athens on Thursday Nenchev and Kammenos agreed to hold a meeting with their Romanian counterpart to...