ERR News

Estonian Public Broadcasting

On an official visit to the newest Eurozone country, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed his own country's desire for the common currency.

"Some Eurozone countries have trouble satisfying the criteria and they don't fulfill budget deficit requirements. Those countries are the victims of populism. Enlarging the state budget deficit is the easiest thing to do," Borissov told ERR radio.

Bulgaria was on track to joining the Schengen zone at the beginning of the summer, but the integration was postponed due to opposition from some member countries like Germany and the Netherlands. Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said he supports Bulgaria's entrance to the visa-free area.

The prime ministers said they plan to boost cooperation in the IT and communication sectors. "In recent years, Estonia's achievements in developing e-governance have been remarkable. Your accomplishments in fighting corruption, developing police agencies, and several other fields that are especially lacking in former Eastern Bloc states, have been admirable," Borissov said.

Both politicians found common ground in conservative fiscal policies. After Estonia, Bulgaria's public sector debt burden is the smallest in the EU.

"The biggest similiarity of our countries is probably [that] both countries' finances are in good shape. Bulgaria has kept a low deficit, having collected state reserves in good times," said Ansip.