Bulgaria has excellent relations with France and there is no danger that the free movement of people in the EU will be restricted, Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolay Mladenov says.

Mladenov spoke Wednesday in an interview for the TV channel Nova Televizia, pointing out some Bulgarian media misrepresents the news coming from France regarding the deportation of Roma to Bulgaria and Romania.

Bulgaria’s top diplomat informed he had a talk Tuesday with the French EU Affairs Minister, Pierre Lellouche, and reassured him Bulgaria is firm that all of its citizens abroad must obey EU laws and the law of the respective country.

The Minister explained there is indeed a 2004 directive mandating the free movement of people in the EU, but it also postulates that after a certain period of time everyone should have a permanent address, a job with a sufficient salary, and this person should not violate the law.

“Based on the same directive, Bulgaria also has the right to deport foreign citizens if they break the rules. The current situation in France concerns fewer Bulgarian citizens compared to other countries and the issue is blown out of proportion by media – this is purely an internal French political debate,” Mladenov said, adding Bulgaria’s Schengen zone future entry has nothing to do with the deportation of Roma by the French authorities.