AKP Phnom Penh, January 02, 2025 —

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev described Bulgaria's full accession to the Schengen area as "a historic event", "a crowning achievement", and "the result of the efforts of many people". Glavchev visited the Kulata checkpoint on the border with Greece, along with ministers and representatives from state institutions, to mark Bulgaria's full integration into Schengen as land border controls were lifted as of January 1, 2025.

Glavchev credited this achievement "to the border guards, the servicepersons, the Frontex personnel and all our allies in the European Union". "I am convinced that together we will better protect the external borders of the EU," Glavchev said.

The caretaker Prime Minister noted that from Greece to Finland in the north and Portugal in the west, people can now cross without border controls. "From the very first days, the differences will become clear, and Bulgarian nationals will experience the comfort of our full Schengen membership," he added.

Caretaker Tourism Minister Evtim Miloshev, who also visited the Kulata checkpoint, said that Bulgaria is both an attractive and safe destination. He expressed optimism about the future of tourism, now that the country is a full-fledged Schengen member. Miloshev noted that Bulgaria's tourism product is highly competitive, particularly in terms of the quality-price ratio.

As of Wednesday, Bulgaria is a full member of the Schengen area. On December 12, 2024, the Council of the European Union decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania. Both countries have been awaiting Schengen accession since 2010, when the Council of the EU reported that the legal requirements had been met. In the years that followed, despite this assessment and repeated calls by the European Commission and the European Parliament, the necessary unanimity was not reached in the Council of EU.

Bulgaria's caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov and his Romanian counterpart, Catalin Predoiu, visited the Danube Bridge border crossing between Ruse and Giurgiu at 12:01 am on Wednesday to celebrate both countries' full integration into the Schengen free-travel area.

AKP-BTA