Bulgaria and Romania are set to join the Schengen Zone by air and sea in March 2024. Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov has confirmed this exciting news, expressing that the accession will open up new opportunities and procedures for the two countries. This will be a two-stage process, with the first stage involving the opening of sea and air borders. Talks about land borders will continue in the following year.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel has emphasized the importance of 2024 as the year to show results and move to the next phase in cooperation with Austria. The goal is to remove barriers and open the land borders, with Austria supporting Bulgaria and other EU countries in negotiations.
To support Sofia, Austria has urged the European Commission to provide funding, technical support, and experts. This aligns with Sofia’s interest in strengthening external borders. There are currently no plans to ease land borders between Sofia and Bucharest, with the focus being on improving controls to halt irregular entry of migrants.
Austria and the Netherlands had previously blocked Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Zone due to concerns about irregular migration. However, the Netherlands has now confirmed its support for Bulgaria’s membership. Meanwhile, Austria’s Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, has proposed the “Air Schengen,” which consists of four conditions for the partial accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Zone.
The recent agreement reached with Vienna allows for the partial completion of a process that citizens of both Balkan countries have been waiting for, despite meeting all needed conditions for over ten years. This exciting development is a significant step forward for Bulgaria and Romania as they continue their journey towards Schengen Zone membership.
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