The fight against organized crime and illegal migration were among the topics discussed by Internal Affairs Minister Catalin Predoiu and his Bulgarian counterpart Atanas Ilkov during a videoconference on Friday, shows the Internal Affairs Ministry (MAI).
"The two officials reviewed the main developments in the Schengen dossier and exchanged views on the conclusions of the JHA Council meeting on October 10, during which the Hungarian Presidency, the European Commission and a number of member states openly expressed the conclusion that the two countries are ready for joining the Schengen Area with land borders and support for the realization of this stage in 2024," the MAI website informed on Saturday.
According to the cited source, the elimination of air and sea border controls on March 31, 2024 went smoothly, the measures agreed upon with the accession decision have been fully implemented and the operational results demonstrate this fact, with the presentations of the ministers providing the precondition for preparing the adoption of the decision to eliminate land border controls as soon as possible.
The two ministers also addressed issues related to bilateral cooperation, in particular the fight against organized crime and illegal migration, highlighting the joint activities carried out in the last period, with very good results.
The parties agreed to hold a direct bilateral meeting in Sofia on October 23, prior to the opening of the Salzburg Forum, which will take place in Sofia on October 23-24 under the Bulgarian rotating presidency.
The Romanian minister will attend the Salzburg Forum accompanied by a governmental and ministerial delegation.