Important declaration on Bulgaria's accession to Schengen by land is expected to be signed

A declaration of the Ministers of Interior of Bulgaria, Romania and Austria regarding Bulgaria's accession to Schengen by land is expected to be signed on Friday in Budapest, caretaker Prime Minister, Dimitar Glavchev, said before the start of Wednesday's regular weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers on November 20.

He pointed out that illegal border crossing attempts on Bulgarian-Turkish border have decreased by 70% and stressed that Friday's event is very important in connection with Bulgaria's full accession to Schengen.

"We are going to have a good event on Friday. This is another step in recognising the contribution Bulgaria has made to guarding the EU's external borders. A declaration is expected to be signed, which is not a final decision on Bulgaria's full admission to Schengen, but is a very important step. It is not the final chord of Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen by land, but it is a recognition of the work we have done," caretaker Prime Minister said.