Austria Favours and Will Support Bulgaria's Schengen Accession - Foreign Minister Kneissl Says
Friday, 19 January 2018
Austria is in favour of Bulgaria's Schengen accession and will support it, said here on Thursday Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, who is paying a visit to Sofia, where she conferred with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva. This is one of Kneissl's first visits abroad a month after taking office.
Austria's top diplomat recalled the increased migrant pressure on Bulgaria in 2015 and 2016, which she described as difficult times that were successfully overcome. Commenting migration and asylum provision, Kneissl said her country believes that a broad reform is needed, so that the protection of EU external borders can be guaranteed. According to her, Member States who are external borders cannot be left alone.