Romanian, Bulgarian Interior Ministry delegations discuss border security, clampdown on cross-border organized crime

Delegations of the Romanian and the Bulgarian Ministries of the Interior had a videocall meeting on July 21, under the coordination of Police Chief-Quaestor Bogdan Despescu, Romania's Secretary of State for Public Order and Security, and Secretary General with the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, Chief Commissioner Miroslav Rashkov, the Romanian Ministry of the Interior said in a release. The two delegations were made of representatives of the Police, Border Police, Immigration and Anti-Corruption structures of the two ministries.

The discussions had as a starting point the general assessment of bilateral cooperation, mainly over the period March - June 2025, highlighting the possible challenges encountered in practice after the removal of controls at internal land borders. Also, the two delegations had an exchange of views on the preparation for the future Schengen evaluations of Romania and Bulgaria in the autumn of this year.

The efficient cooperation between the operational structures of the two ministries was reaffirmed as a central element of the Romanian-Bulgarian partnership, with an emphasis on the need to maintain and expand it. The joint actions carried out in recent months have played an essential role in identifying and monitoring border areas with a high risk of illegal crossing. In this context, the rapid exchange of information and joint investigation teams have significantly contributed to combating and dismantling migrant smuggling groups.

The Romanian and Bulgarian competent authorities have taken preventive action through joint team patrols intended to discourage and reduce illegal migration flows. In addition to the activities carried out at the territorial immigration and border police structures, the sides agreed to intensify cooperation by continuing joint actions in the coming months.

Regarding the clampdown on corruption, the efficient collaboration between the General Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Bulgarian Internal Security Directorate was noted.

As far as the facilitation of traffic at the shared border is concerned, the delegations agreed to continue to pay increased attention to this aspect, especially to the Giurgiu - Ruse border area, in the context of ongoing repair works on the Giurgiu - Ruse Friendship Bridge.

All these activities reconfirm the joint commitment of the two counterpart institutions to combating cross-border organized crime, reduce illegal migration and ensure a climate of security and trust for the EU citizens.