Bulgaria Loses Billions Annually Due to Delayed Schengen Membership, Warns Economy Minister
Bulgaria stands to lose approximately BGN 1 billion each year due to its continued exclusion from full membership in the Schengen area
Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikolay Mladenov has commented that recently leaked secret tapes suggesting internal conflicts in the cabinet might well harm Bulgaria's chances of Schengen entry in March.
Bulgaria and Romania are scheduled to join Schengen March 2011, but recently France and Germany have voiced strong support for postponement based on perceived problems in the fight against corruption and organized crime in the two newest EU member states.
Wednesday a scandal broke after secret tapes were released of a conversation in which Tanov accused in front of his senior Djankov fellow vice-PM Tsvetanov of incompetence and ulterior motivation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mladenov commented that the instigators of the scandal "don't know what they're doing to Bulgaria."
"Bulgaria's efforts in join Schengen include not only fulfilling technical criteria, but also to convince our European partners that no matter what cabinet is in power this country has stable institutions that can guarantee Europe's external border, as well as justice in our society," stated Mladenov.
He characterized the tape leak as an attempt to mislead the public about the existence of a scandal that is actually not real.
Earlier Thursday Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov also criticised the tape leak as harmful to Bulgaria's political climate and international image.
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