The Bulgarian visit of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, initially scheduled for Monday, has been postponed but not canceled, the Bulgarian foreign Ministry has informed.

Rutte's visit has been postponed due to the Bulgarian cabinet's "difficult debate" on the country's draft budget for 2012, Vesela Cherneva, the Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, has reiterated, as cited by the local BGNES news agency.

Cherneva pointed out that the postponement has nothing to do with the Netherlands' formal veto on the Balkan state's Schengen accession bid. She added that a new date will be announced.

On September 22, the Netherlands and Finland expectedly vetoed the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the visa-free Schengen Area at the meeting of the EU Interior Ministers in Brussels.

It was Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov who invited his Dutch counterpart in Sofia, hoping to convince him that the country is ready to join Europe's border-free zone.

Bulgaria's cabinet is holding an emergency sitting on Monday to debate amendments to the tax law and parameters of the country's 2012 draft budget. The draft budget for 2012 calls for a 1.35% deficit or BGN 1 100 M; inflation below 2% and a 2.9% economic growth. There are also plans to redirect significant funds from the security sector to education and culture.

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