Joint Romanian - Bulgarian measures have led to the dismantling of migrant-trafficking rings operating in the region, is the conclusion of a videocall meeting between a delegation of Romania's Ministry of the Interior, led by Secretary of State for Order and Public Safety Bogdan Despescu, and Bulgarian counterparts headed by Miroslav Rashkov, Secretary General of Bulgaria's Ministry of the Interior.
"The rapid exchange of information and the joint investigations of recent months have significantly contributed to combating and dismantling groups involved in migrant trafficking and other forms of cross-border crime," the two sides agreed, reports the Interior Ministry.
The meeting was part of the high-level professional dialogue aimed at strengthening strategic and operational bilateral cooperation.
"One year after the full Schengen accession of both countries, cooperation continues to deliver very good results. A set of compensatory measures has been applied on both sides of the common border to discourage and reduce illegal-migration flows and prevent other forms of crime," the Ministry noted.
Joint patrol missions in Bulgarian tourist resorts are continuing this year too. Romania currently has four police officers deployed to help ensure the safety of Romanian tourists in Bulgarian ski resorts. These missions follow similar joint patrols carried out last year during the Easter holidays, the May 1 mini-holiday and the summer season.
"The Romanian Border Police continue to participate in joint patrols for the protection of the Bulgarian - Turkish border. Joint traffic-police teams will also continue operating this year in adjacent border areas, especially on weekends and public holidays, to facilitate traffic and ensure road safety," the Ministry added.
The delegations also exchanged views on the results of last year's Schengen evaluations in Bulgaria and Romania. The excellent bilateral cooperation was highlighted as an example of best practices across all evaluated fields under the authority of the two ministries, with the assessments confirming that Bulgaria and Romania are reliable partners contributing significantly to the security of the Schengen area.
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