Bulgaria, Romania to get Schengen membership after October

The European Commission's report on Bulgaria's readiness to join the Schengen area is expected to be released in June or July, and there will be no obstacles for Bulgaria and Romania to enter Schengen after October. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Milkov made a statement at a seminar for young diplomats in Sandanski.

Bulgaria should identify everything that the Netherlands expects to see in the future report about the rule of law in this country, and other topics, and after October we would be able to cover the criteria for entry into Schengen, Milkov believes. When asked by the BNR whether Bulgaria can again impose a veto on the start of the negotiations process for North Macedonia's EU membership, the Bulgarian foreign minister clarified that there was no Bulgarian veto. We have a clear position based on what the EU has decided about this country. Milkov pointed out that when they fulfill these conditions - the observation of human rights, the right of association, the fight against hate speech and hate crimes, their path to membership is open.