Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov (left) and Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Okt 4, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov paid a visit to Berlin, where he
held a meeting with Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday
evening. At a joint press conference with Denkov, Scholz said he explicitly
supports Bulgaria and Romania to become full Schengen members. Germany will
continue to advocate the same to EU partners, the German Chancellor emphasized.
Earlier, the two leaders met to discuss Schengen-related matters, the Western Balkans and the war in Ukraine.
Scholz said that the relations between Germany and Bulgaria are excellent
and diverse and today the two countries want to deepen their cooperation.
German-Bulgarian economic relations are indeed very successful and in 2022, a
trade record of EUR 12 billion had been achieved, he noted. Bulgarian products,
and especially automotive industry supplies, are particularly needed in
Germany, the German Chancellor added.
According to Scholz, Bulgaria is a reliable partner both in the EU and in
NATO, and this was evident in its reactions against the Russian aggression in
Ukraine. He thanked Bulgaria for firmly and clearly taking the side of Ukraine.
Denkov noted that he and Scholz agreed that the protection of the EU's
external borders should be a priority and the countries that are under the
greatest migrant pressure, such as Bulgaria, should be helped. The Bulgarian PM
said that all the Western Balkan countries should be integrated as full
European states.
Denkov and Scholz will meet again in the coming days in the framework of
the meeting of the European Political Community and the Informal meeting of EU
heads of state or government.
(BTA)