The European Commission has stopped short of supporting explicitly Bulgaria’s request for guarantees for the security of the country’s border with Turkey in a deal on migration between the EU and Ankara expected to be finalized at the end of the week, public radio broadcaster BNR reported on Monday.

“We have taken note of Bulgaria’s intentions,” BNR quoted European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas as saying in a reply to a reporter’s question.

While Bulgaria is absolutely rignt to put such issue to discussion with the other EU member states, it’s better to wait for the discussion to take place rather than speak in advance of the March 17-18 EU summit, Schinas has said, according to BNR.   

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov sent a letter last week to the heads of the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council, tying the country’s support for a final EU-Turkey agreement on curbing the migrant inflow into Europe to the opportunity for Bulgaria to send illegal migrants back to Turkey.

Borisov also insisted that Ankara has to prevent migrants heading not only towards Greece from Turkish territory but also towards Bulgaria, which has a land and maritime border with Turkey. With the so-called Western Balkans route now practically closed, the government in Sofia is concerned about a possible re-routing to Bulgaria of part of the ongoing massive migration flow from Turkey into Greece.

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