site.btaUPDATED MEPs Stage Protest against Austria Blocking Bulgaria's, Romania's Schengen Entry

Members of the European Parliament Ilhan Kyuchyuk of Bulgaria and Vlad Botos of Romania staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Interior in Vienna on Monday against the Austrian Government's position against the admission of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. Also participating was Austrian MP Helmut Brandstatter.

"Bulgaria and Romania cannot be kept outside Schengen," Kyuchyuk told BTA. "Both countries have been meeting the requirements for membership back since 2011 but are victims of Austrian domestic politics," he added.

"We protect well the EU external border. Over 180,000 people wishing to cross the border of Bulgaria - i.e. the border of the EU, have been turned back. This costs human, financial and political resources," the Bulgarian MEP added. 

He explained that they opted for the protest to back the efforts of the Bulgarian State. "I have always argued that, along with diplomatic and political efforts, there should be yet another opportunity to address the subject publicly," Kyuchyuk added. "The more the subject is discussed and the more authoritatively this is done until the end of December, the better the chance of success," the MEP said.

"I believe that the best way to safeguard the national interest is to pool the efforts of the executive, the legislature, the MEPs, to mobilize the entire potential at our country's disposal," he said further. "Romania and Bulgaria should maximize the window of opportunity so as to achieve Schengen entry," Kyuchyuk explained.

This is the second joint initiative of the Bulgarian and the Romanian MEP, after a news conference at the Ruse-Giurgiu border crossing between their countries on September 23.