European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness lauded Bulgaria's vigilant border management during her visit to the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. She praised the rigorous scrutiny exercised by Bulgarian authorities, emphasizing the significance of the border point as Europe's largest land crossing.

McGuinness, acknowledging the increasing traffic of trucks at the checkpoint, highlighted its pivotal role for the EU. She stressed the importance of her visit to understand concerns and enhance cooperation, emphasizing the necessity of strict checks for all incoming and outgoing goods.

The Commissioner expressed satisfaction with Bulgaria's commitment to scrutinizing activities at the border, citing its relevance not only for the country but for the entire EU. She publicly commended the customs head at Kapitan Andreevo for his dedication and emphasized the imperative of European cooperation to combat circumvention of sanctions.

Speaking about the circumvention of sanctions, McGuinness pointed out the challenges posed by Russia and its allies in bypassing EU sanctions, emphasizing the need for information sharing to address potential issues.

Addressing the evasion of sanctions, she mentioned the misuse of dual-use goods, citing microchips in consumer electronics being diverted for unintended purposes. McGuinness stressed the EU's commitment to assist member states in implementing and enforcing sanctions, emphasizing the importance of seizing illegally obtained cash to combat criminal activities like drug use, prostitution, and kidnapping.

Commissioner McGuinness concluded by acknowledging the need for EU-wide cooperation in dealing with criminal activities and commended the Bulgarian authorities for facilitating open discussions during her visit.