Bulgarian Peime Minister Boyko Borisov(R) welcomes Denmark`s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmid during their official meeting in Sofia ,Bulgaria 05 December 2011. Denmark`s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt arrived on an one day visit in Sofia. EPA
Denmark firmly supports Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen bids and hopes that the two countries would join the agreement during its EU presidency, Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt has said.
"Bulgaria and Romania have met the requirements for joining the Schengen Agreement; we should stimulate them by accepting them in Schengen. If someone has abided by the rules, they should proceed to the next level," Thorning-Schmidt has declared, as cited by the Bulgarian BGNES news agency.
Denmark is working very actively in support of Bulgaria's Schengen accession bid, according to the Danish Prime Minister.
On Monday, Thorning-Schmidt met with her Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov in the Balkan country's capital Sofia.
The Netherlands remains the last Schengen state to strictly oppose Bulgaria's phased-in accession to the agreement after Finland softened its position in mid-November. Finland now says it would accept a phased-in solution for the Balkan country if it sees a positive Cooperation and Verification Mechanism interim report at the beginning of 2012.
Bulgaria and Romania were initially planned to join the Schengen Area in the spring of 2011, but their entry was opposed by France and Germany, which also voiced objections relating not to technical criteria, but rather to corruption and organized crime.