Bulgaria met Schengen entry criteria last year, Nancy Faeser said

The pact on migration is very important. It is a document that allows for the joint responsibility of all states, Bulgaria’s caretaker Minister of Interior, Kalin Stoyanov, told journalists on April 15 after the visit of the German Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser.

He thanked the German government for Germany's high assessment of Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area.

"This is an indicator which shows us that we are on the right track. The topics we commented on were the excellent bilateral cooperation in the field of home affairs, border management, the current situation in terms of migration," Kalin Stoyanov said.

"It was crucial for the federal government that Bulgaria meets the criteria for entry into the Schengen area. In our view, these criteria were fully met and fulfilled by Bulgaria already last year. That is why we unanimously stand behind this membership," German Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, explained.

"The role of Frontex as a border protection agency is large and important," Faeser further stated, adding that, "At the borders, beyond the assistance of Frontex, the member states themselves are responsible for their external borders."

As part of her visit to the country, Nancy Faeser visited the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing point. Caretaker Minister of the Interior, Kalin Stoyanov, briefed her German counterpart on the work of the border authorities at the checkpoint and on the activities of the Trilateral Centre for Police and Customs Cooperation.