The Eastern European country was blocked from joining the passport-free zone at the start of the year.
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00:00 Bulgaria`s Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov tells Euronews that he feels his country is a hostage
00:07 to the debate over Schengen enlargement.
00:10 Denkov spoke to MEPs in the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week about his vision for
00:16 Europe.
00:17 He says Bulgaria has fulfilled all the EU`s criteria towards joining the Schengen zone.
00:24 When I met the Chancellor Nehammer in Austria, he was very clear that he has no any problems
00:31 with Bulgaria and Romania per se today.
00:34 His problem is how the Schengen area is working in general.
00:38 So this is more like a discussion between Austria and the European Union rather than
00:44 between Bulgaria and Austria.
00:46 Of course, we are the victims of this situation.
00:49 As I said today, I feel a little bit as a hostage of this situation.
00:53 I hope that there will be a positive development in December.
00:58 The prime minister also rejects criticism from Hungary and Serbia after Bulgaria announced
01:03 plans to tax the transfer of Russian gas through its territory.
01:07 Both receivers of it, Budapest and Belgrade, fear that the measure will lead to higher
01:11 fuel prices for their citizens.
01:14 But the prime minister of Bulgaria says the law is not directed at them.
01:20 The way this tax is implemented does not put any requirements for payments from the receiving
01:28 countries like Hungary or the other countries.
01:32 It is defined in such a way that it should be paid by Gazprom.
01:37 And I had discussions with the Hungarian prime minister, Orban, with the Serbian prime minister,
01:45 and I told them this is not against your citizens.
01:48 We don`t want to hurt them in any way.
01:51 What we want is to take some of the profit of the Russian war machine because it`s fueled
01:56 by Gazprom literally in some way.
01:59 Bulgaria has previously blocked North Macedonia`s EU membership talks over concerns of the rights
02:04 of national minorities.
02:07 The deal was reached on the issue last year, though, and Sofia has no further demands towards
02:12 North Macedonia.
02:13 No, we have no further demands.
02:16 There is a very clear decision from the last year, 2022.
02:21 It is between North Macedonia and the European Union, actually.
02:25 So, this is a matter of negotiations with them, not with Bulgaria today.
02:31 And we have no further requirements.
02:33 What we expect is this agreement to be fulfilled by the side of North Macedonia as it is expected.
02:42 The Western Balkans entering the EU is in Bulgaria`s interest politically and economically,
02:47 but the prime minister warns that new countries must be true members of the union once they
02:51 join.
02:51 Thank you.
02:58 (whooshing)