Bulgaria wants to enter the Schengen Area which is one of the best achievements of the European Union, the country’s President Rosen Plevneliev has said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Plevneliev was on a working visit to Italy on 27-28 January

“Schengen is one of the best results of the EU, a milestone that defines who we are,” Plevneliev said. “It is the dream of all European citizens to travel around Europe without passports.”

Bulgaria is faced with numerous crises, which are taking place near its borders, but the country has managed to fulfil its obligations as a member of the EU, Plevneliev said.

“Bulgaria continues to play its important role as a country located at a crossroads,” Plevneliev said. “We know who we are and where we go: we are for Europe."

He stressed that Bulgaria is among the EU countries which oppose the creation of internal borders. The introduction of border controls on the external frontiers of the EU is a necessary measure but it only provides a temporary solution to the migrant crisis.

“Our fence along the border with Turkey has been erected temporarily in order to secure the 265 kilometres of border that our country shares with Turkey,” Plevneliev said.

Referring to the increased number of asylum seekers who crossed from Turkey into Bulgaria last year , Plevneliev said that the Bulgarian authorities have done their job in providing humanitarian treatment to the people who have reached the country’s territory.

Not all refugees should be granted asylum and EU member states should be able to send back those who are economic migrants, Plevneliev said.

“Out of the 31,000 asylum-seekers registered in Bulgaria in 2015, only 12,000 were escaping from war, the rest were economic migrants.”

The Bulgarian President also spoke about increased fears of terrorism in Europe, saying that all countries should do their best to prevent terrorist acts.

He added that although Bulgaria is among the European countries with the highest percentage of Muslim population, "the country has secured peaceful coexistence among its religions.”

“Almost 9% of the population in Bulgaria are Muslims but they live peacefully and are well integrated into society,” Plevneliev said.

One of the biggest risks for the EU, according to Plevneliev, is the return to the old ideas of nationalism.

"Intolerance, xenofobia, antisemitism, have created devastation and wars throughout the history of Europe,” Plevneliev said. “In the 21^st century, we need new and better ideas.”

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