National Assembly Chair Tsacheva Confers with German Bundestag President


Berlin, May 6 (BTA) - The elaboration of a common European
policy on migration and refugees featured on the agenda of a
meeting between Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Tsetska
Tsacheva and German Bundestag President Norbert Lammert here on
Wednesday. A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation led by Tsacheva
is paying a visit to Berlin on May 6 and 7, Parliament said in a
press release.

Tsacheva informed Lammert of Bulgaria's efforts related to the
unprecedented flow of refugees. She noted that now is the time
to show European solidarity and the EU to watch equally both the
maritime and land borders. In her words, it is not within the
powers of a single Member State such as Bulgaria, which is
located on the route of this migration wave, to handle the
problems on its own without European solidarity.

The German Bundestag President said that a common European
policy on migration and refugees should be elaborated because at
present the distribution of burdens within the EU is not even.

"We firmly believe that Europe's security will be far better
guaranteed if Bulgaria and Romania join as soon as possible the
Schengen area," Tsacheva underscored. Bulgaria has met all the
technical criteria, it uses Schengen's information system and is
practically behaving as a Schengen member, she added.

The National Assembly Chair acquainted the German
parliamentarians with Bulgaria's efforts and reforms related to
the fight against crime and with the judicial reform. "We have a
clear political will, we are clear about what our partners are
expecting and we work actively to implement our commitments as a
EU Member State," she said.

Bundestag Internal Affairs Committee Chairman Wolfgang Bosbach
said during his meeting with the Bulgarian delegation that his
country also faces a big challenge related to the migration
wave. Germany and Sweden accommodate the highest number of
refugees, he noted, adding that in 2008 this number stood at
28,000 and this year at 300,000, with a trend to reach 400,000.

Tsacheva also conferred with the Chairman of the Bundestag
Committee on the Affairs of the European Union, Gunther
Krichbaum.

At the meetings, the sides unanimously gave the highest
assessment of the bilateral contacts between Bulgaria and
Germany and confirmed the strategic importance of bilateral
cooperation.

On May 7, the Bulgarian delegation is scheduled to attend the
official opening of the plenary sitting of Berlin's parliament
and talk with German-Bulgarian Parliamentary Friendship Group
Chair Gernot Erler.

Tsacheva will confer with Christian Democratic Union
parliamentary group leader Volker Kauder, Christian Social Union
parliamentary group leader Gerda Hasselfeldt and the deputy
head of the Social Democratic Party of Germany parliamentary
group, Axel Schafer.

On the Bulgarian delegation are National Assembly deputy
chairmen Ivan Ivanov and Krassimir Karakachanov and
Bulgaria-Germany Friendship Group member Atanas Merdjanov.