Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Interior Minister refuses to predict deadline for Bulgaria's full entry into Schengen

Atanas Ilkov
Photo: Press office of the EU/BTA

Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov has assessed as serious the support Bulgaria is receiving for full Schengen membership. However, he did not commit himself to a timeframe on whether this country will be accepted into Schengen by land by the end of the current European Commission's mandate. 
The next Commission is due to take office on 1 December. 

Speaking to journalists in Luxembourg, where he is attending the EU Council meeting, Ilkov said he had spoken to his Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner, whose country is vetoing Bulgaria's admission to Schengen, but so far there is no firm position from Vienna, BNR correspondent in Brussels Angelina Piskova reported. 
"In terms of demands from us, there is nothing that we have not fulfilled. We have fulfilled what is asked of us, such as increasing the capacity of the Border Police with all the technical equipment, with all the measures we are implementing to counter organised crime groups organising illegal trafficking, good interaction with Romania, Austria and all other European countries," Ilkov said.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

After sub-zero morning temperatures, it will be sunny and warmer during the day

On Wednesday , the lowest temperatures will be between minus 6° and minus 1°C. In Sofia, it will be around minus 3°. During the day, it will be mostly sunny. There will be more significant temporary increases in cloudiness over the..

published on 3/18/25 7:15 PM

North Macedonia's Health Minister Arben Taravari: Thank you, Bulgaria!

North Macedonia’s Minister of Health Arben Taravari and his Bulgarian counterpart Silvi Kirilov, together with the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, Georg Georgiev and Timco Mucunski, visited the citizens of North Macedonia who were..

published on 3/18/25 6:11 PM

Boycott of retail chains ends

The initiative committee that organized the boycott of retail chains has announced the end of its protests. In a statement to the media, the organizers of the boycotts announced that their demands have been partially met by the draft law on the supply..

published on 3/18/25 5:35 PM