Bulgaria has become the first EU Member State to sign a protocol for implementing an agreement for readmission of irregular migrants by Turkey, Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala has said.

The protocol was signed in Turkey by Efkan Ala and his Bulgarian counterpart Rumyana Bachvarova, the interior ministry in Sofia said in a statement on Thursday.

Leaders of EU member States and Turkey reached an agreement in March, which provides for the return of irregular migrants from Europe to Turkey, with Turkish authoritiessending a Syrian refugee from camps on their territory to the EU for each irregular migrant they receive.

The protocol is extremely important for future work and the implementation of mechanisms for effective interaction, Efkan Ala said, according to the statement.

Rumyana Bachvarova expressed confidence that the protocol will yield results that will be in the interest of both countries as it provides for a practical framework for action and detailed operational procedures.

Bachvarova also highlighted steps taken in recent months to enhance partnership between Bulgaria and Turkey, including the signing of an agreement to set up a point of contact on Bulgarian territory for police and customs authorities from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

The contact centre at Kapitan Andreevo crossing, on Bulgaria’s border with Turkey, will provide for the sharing of information among the police and customs authorities of the three neighbouring countries in order to achieve an adequate and timely response to combating illegal migration and people smuggling.

Bachvarova also pointed to operational interaction between Bulgarian Border Police and Turkish Coast Guard in protecting the common border as another example of successful cooperation in tackling the issue of illegal migration.