Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

EU needs Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen, says Economy Minister

Bogdan Bogdanov
Photo: BTA

Europe's economic development and security depend on the full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into Schengen and the euro area - this is what we want to make clear today, together with the business sector and the bilateral chambers of commerce, said Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov. 

Mr Bogdanov and his Romanian counterpart Ștefan-Radu Oprea visited the Danube Bridge border crossing at Ruse. Both officials said that queues of heavy lorries and slow passage at the border were hampering business and causing significant financial damage. 

The ministers are attending a Bulgarian-Romanian business conference to discuss the losses to the region and investors caused by the two countries' delay in joining Schengen. The Austrian ambassador to Bulgaria, Andrea Ikic-Böhm, is among those attending the forum.

The GDP of the two countries is expected to grow by 3 to 5% if they join Schengen and the eurozone.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Defence minister Zapryanov (L) takes part in the 61st Munich Security Conference, which opened on Friday.

EU accepts Bulgaria's proposal on defence modernisation spending

A procedure will be introduced to exclude military expenditure from the inflation index, Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov announced in Munich, BTA reported. Speaking at the Security Conference, the minister said that Bulgaria had been..

published on 2/16/25 11:33 AM

President Radev calls for stronger EU security and urges North Macedonia to implement Consensus 2022

Addressing the crises facing the EU requires strengthening Europe's global competitiveness and ensuring security, President Rumen Radev said during a meeting with European Council President António Costa at the Munich Security Conference...

published on 2/16/25 10:39 AM
Support for protesting Serbian students in Pirot.

Bulgarians and Serbs from Tsaribrod and Pirot support student protests

Bulgarians and Serbs from the towns of Tsaribrod and Pirot marched in support of the student protests in Serbia , reports BTA. "We want the students' demands to be met and we hope that there will be changes in Serbia," demonstrators from the two towns in..

published on 2/16/25 10:27 AM