site.btaPM Zhelyazkov: New Schengen Member Bulgaria Tightens EU External Border

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told the Sixth European Political Community Summit in Tirana that Bulgaria has continued to build up its border-control capacity since joining Schengen at the start of the year, the government press service said Friday.

Speaking during a round-table discussion titled An Open Europe with Secure Borders: Addressing Mobility Challenges and Fostering Youth Empowerment, Zhelyazkov said Bulgaria makes a substantial contribution to EU security. He noted that the country guards one of the Union’s most sensitive external frontiers and said close cooperation with neighbouring countries, particularly Turkiye, is essential. That partnership, he added, has already eased migratory pressure.

Zhelyazkov stressed the need to work with countries of origin and transit to curb irregular migration. “Open Europe and secure borders are not contradictory concepts – they are two sides of the same coin and must be addressed responsibly and strategically, in partnership,” he said.

Earlier on Friday, Zhelyazkov arrived in Tirana for the Sixth European Political Community Summit. He was welcomed by his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama and held meetings with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.