MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th June, 2023) Amsterdam and Sofia are discussing the involvement of Dutch experts in the work to assess the control of the Bulgarian-Turkish border, a move that could pave the way for Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen zone, Dutch newspaper NL Times reported on Thursday.
Nikolai Denkov, the new Bulgarian prime minister, reportedly hopes that those experts will ease the Netherlands' concerns over possible illegal migration through the territory of Bulgaria. These concerns impede Bulgaria's bid to join the Schengen area, the report said.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte commented on the invitation of the Bulgarian side to observe operations on the border between Bulgaria and Turkey.
"We are talking, but no decisions have yet been made," Rutte was quoted as saying by the newspaper, commenting on the invitation.
In December 2022, the Netherlands, along with Austria, did not support Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area due to concerns that it could cause a flow of illegal migration through the country.
