Estonia supports Bulgaria’s efforts to join the Schengen Area and appreciates its efforts to protect the EU external borders, Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Mikser told the Bulgarian National Radio. Currently, Estonia is chairing the Council of the European Union. Our decision for support is based on objective criteria and Estonia believes that if a given country has already fulfilled these criteria, it should not be subject to additional conditions, Minister Sven Mikser added. On January 1, 2018 Bulgaria is to take over the rotation Presidency of the Council of the EU from Estonia for a period of six months.