During his “This is Europe” address, Prime Minister Denkov warned that Russia is using economic and cultural ties to divide Bulgarian society. He stressed that EU and NATO membership are the greatest guarantee to continue the path to democratic and European development for Bulgaria. “This is why we need to complete our European integration by joining the Schengen area and the Eurozone,” he added.

Prime Minister Denkov reiterated Bulgaria’s fulfilment of all necessary Schengen requirements and that “any further postponement is unacceptable and demotivating” for the country and its people. With the entry of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen, “Europe’s borders will be better protected, and Europe will be stronger”.

Commenting on the contemporary geopolitical situation, Mr Denkov warned that Europe should not underestimate the prospect of the conflict in the Middle East, sparked by Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack and Israel’s large-scale military response,…