EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom praises Bulgaria’s Schengen efforts, but “there is still work ahead”

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom praised Bulgaria’s progress to fulfil criteria to join the Schengen zone, but said there is still work ahead. Malmstrom visited the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with Turkey with Interior Minister Tstvetan Tsvetanov. “There is tremendous progress and an extremely high level of technical preparedness,” the EU commissioner said. “It is nevertheless evident that there is still more work to be done and that there must be a strict technical check and control,” she added. Tsvetanov said Bulgaria will fulfil all criteria to join Schengen by March.