Hungarians Agree On Need For A “Different” EU Relationship, But Split On Ukraine Stance
NEW POLL: HUNGARIANS UNITED ON NEED FOR A ‘DIFFERENT’ RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU, BUT DIVERGENCES REMAIN ON UKRAINE
Bulgaria's Schengen Entry to Be Priority for Hungarian EU Presidency
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Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mladenov (left) with his Hungarian counterpart Martonyi in Budapest. Photo by BGNES
Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Agreement will be one of the priorities for Hungary's EU Presidency, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi.
Martonyi welcomed Friday in Budapest his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolay Mladenov. Hungary will be in charge of the rotating EU Presidency in January-June 2011.
"Bulgaria will meet the Schengen accession criteria, and there shouldn't be any obstacles to its joining the Agreement during the Hungarian Presidency of the EU. This is one of the goals of the Hungarian Presidency," Hungary's top diplomat told Mladenov, according to the press service of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.
Hungary's support for the Schengen accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2011 had already been declared by the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. At the same time, however, top officials from countries such as France and the Netherlands have expressed serious concerns about the readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to be part of the Schengen Area and to secure its external borders.
Also on Friday, Austrian Interior Minister Maria Fekter demanded that monitoring be imposed on Romania and Bulgaria if they are to enter the Schengen Agreement in 2011. The Bulgarian government has hoped to become part of the Schengen Area in March 2011.
In addition to Bulgaria's Schengen prospects, the talks between Martonyi and Mladenov on Friday focused on security and diversification of energy supplies, and the EU integration of the Western Balkans, where Martonyi said Bulgaria's expertise is regarded highly.
Bulgaria's top diplomat Nikolay Mladenov welcomed the initiative of the Hungarian EU Presidency to craft an EU Strategy on Roma integration, and promised support on part of Bulgaria.
Mladenov also visited the Hristo Botev School, the Bulgarian school in the Hungarian capital meeting with representatives of the Bulgarian community there.
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