Romania, Bulgaria’s presidents push for Schengen accession

During a visit to Sofia yesterday (23 September), Romanian President Traian Basescu found an ally in the shape of his Bulgarian colleague, Georgi Parvanov, as both called for the speedy joint accession of the two countries to the Schengen area. Dnevnik, EurActiv's partner in Bulgaria, reports.
Speaking alongside his guest, Parvanov said that two bilateral official documents, one from 2008 and the other from 2010, commit the neighbouring countries to joint efforts to meet the criteria for accession to the European border-free area.

Dnevnik recalls that Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has insisted that each country must join according to its merits. As previously reported, Borissov did not criticise the Roma expulsions by France in the hope that Paris would not raise obstacles to the country's Schengen accession in early 2011.
Parvanov, who is a former socialist leader, openly disapproved of the policy of centre-right Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who said France was within its rights in conducting the expulsions.

News source: EurActiv link: article