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SVILENGRAD – Employees from Bulgaria, Austria, Romania and Hungary took up joint security at the Bulgarian-Turkish border under the agreement between the four countries, officially signed in Svilengrad.
The document was signed by the directors of the “Border Police” of Bulgaria Anton Zlatanov and Romania Cornel-Laurian Stoica, the National Police of Hungary János Balog, and the general director of public security of the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Austria Franz Ruf.
This joint contingent is only the first step, said Bulgarian Minister of the Interior Daniel Mitov at a briefing after signing the agreement. He recalled that the joint actions were agreed upon at the quadrilateral ministerial meeting in Budapest on November 22, 2024, on the eve of the full acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen. This is a sign of true European solidarity, which is also the name of the operation – “Solidarity”, said the Minister of the Interior.
Mitov emphasized that the security of the EU’s external border cannot be solely the responsibility of the “front-line” countries. The new formation will complement the work of the Bulgarian “Border Police”, he noted. The minister added that thanks to cooperation with the Turkish side, a long-term trend of reducing migrant pressure on Bulgaria from Turkey has been observed, and maintaining effective security on this border remains a major priority.
The number of the mixed border contingent is 120 people.
If we are not able to protect our external borders, then we will not be able to protect the internal ones either, warned Hungarian Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér. He assured that with the agreement, his country supports the efforts for Schengen and the external borders.
The creation of the contingent is an even stronger protection measure that provides security, pointed out Romanian Minister of the Interior Cătălin Predoiu. According to him, organized migration is a global phenomenon and big business that destabilizes states. Organized migrant flows also mean trafficking in drugs and weapons, added Predoiu. He noted that his country will insist on greater European funding and consolidation of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, as well as investments in technology and equipment for the “Border Police”.
Austria has been promoting effective border security measures for years, said Franz Ruf, the general director of public security in the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Austria. He clarified that the efforts at national and international levels show that his country is categorically against illegal migration and organized smuggling. Ruf pointed out that the officers sent by Austria are extremely well prepared and have international experience.
The director of the Main Directorate “Border Police” in Bulgaria, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, announced that with the new contingent, the main responsibility for the security of the Bulgarian-Turkish border will remain with the Bulgarian border guards and the Bulgarian military. According to him, last year, together with the Main Directorate “Combating Organized Crime”, the national police, and the State Agency for National Security in Bulgaria, a large number of organized criminal groups for human trafficking were neutralized. Zlatanov explained that the number of personnel on the border with Greece after Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen is maintained. (February 3)