“It is unacceptable for a country to show irresponsible approach and yet to expect European solidarity. Responsibility and solidarity go hand in hand. Bulgaria already showed responsibility by strictly observing the European rules for acceptance of asylum-seekers and now it expects European solidarity,” Bulgarian Rosen Plevneliev said speaking before graduates and schoolchildren from the Gustav Heinemann School in Berlin, on Thursday.

At the initiative of the school graduates, specialised in politics, the Bulgarian President received 11 German schoolchildren, with whom he exchanged opinions on topical European and international issues.

Asked by the young people to comment on certain countries’ unwillingness to accept refugees from the conflict regions, President Rosen Plevneliev recalled that Bulgaria was the first EU member states to strictly apply the European rules and provided conditions for registration and sheltering of the migrants looking for protection.

“In two years Bulgaria seriously improved the accommodation conditions for the refugees. The control at the external EU border was stepped up, as a result of which the migration pressure along the Bulgarian borders was eased,” Mr Plevneliev remarked.

“Situation in Europe is a bad example of crisis management,” Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said.
“Europe is now working on restricting the consequences of the migration pressure but it is not working on solving the problems that brought the current situation.

There is a need of an active approach – problems should be solved immediately instead of being postponed,” the Bulgarian Head of State said further.

President Plevneliev commented that the actions Bulgaria took to tackle the migration crisis were not connected with the Schengen area membership.

“Schengen is a technical issue. Bulgaria and Romania fully meet all technical requirements and should be accessed. Continuing to apply the “yes but…” principle may bring another crisis in Europe,” the President warned.

Mr Plevneliev introduced the young people with the European and the European-Atlantic road of Bulgaria, as well as to his position on several other international issues.

“Nowadays Bulgaria contributes to the stability of the entire region. It is conducting predictable and responsible policy towards the countries in the West Balkans and actively assists them with its experience on their road to integration in the European and European-Atlantic structures,” Mr Plevneliev remarked.

The Gustav Heinemann School in Berlin organises traditional exchange of opinions with leading national and international politicians. So far the school has organised discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Secretary General of the UN Kofi Anan, and others.