Kristian Vigenin: All authorities are committed to solving the refugee problem
16 October 2013 News
In the Syrian refugee situation, which is difficult for the country, the government is trying to avoid unnecessary tensions rising and disturbing the citizens. The headquarters is working, the actions are adequate and no one is left on the streets. This was said by Minister Kristian Vigenin in the morning programme of BNT. He suggested that the current problems in the temporary accommodation centers are due to the pace of addressing the problems and the exhausted capacity. Vigenin claimed that this is unacceptable in case it lasts over a longer period of time. According to him, the analysis made on the subject has showed two years ago that there is a possible increase of the number of asylum seekers in our country , and a larger reception capacity could have been built at the end of last year and the beginning of this year but this was not done.
The Foreign Minister stressed that special care for the refugee children should be provided. Exactly the possibilities in that direction have been the subject of his yesterday's meeting with the representative of UNICEF for Bulgaria. At the meeting of the Council on International Development Cooperation that took place yesterday, a decision was made for the resources set for humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries to be allocated to those in Bulgaria , he added.
According to Kristian Vigenin, not only the central government has commitment to solving the problem, but also the local authorities. "Every resource should be used. The Mayor of Sofia instead of criticizing and acting as an observer, should provide help. This is not a problem of a single minister but of the whole country, " he said.
Minister Vigenin claimed that all necessary actions to ensure European funding have been taken. "It is a matter of time to get an increase for the next year. It is likely for some of that money to be received immediately," he said, adding that so far EU funds have been received but not used efficiently. "The government of GERB has not done anything to built an expert and physical capacity," the Foreign Minister said.
Regarding the forthcoming debate today on the no-confidence vote in the government, Kristian Vigenin described as positive the fact that GERB still uses parliamentary mechanisms. According to him, this vote shows that the former ruling party is completely helpless in its role as opposition . "I hope that GERB will register so that it will have the opportunity to present its arguments, as well asto hear the arguments of the parties supporting the government ," he said.
The Foreign Minister commented also on the main objectives of his recent visits to France and Moldova. Opportunities for cooperation in the field of Roma integration in France were among the topics discussed at the meeting of Kristian Vigenin and Laurent Fabius. "These are European citizens and they cannot be forcibly deported or returned by Bulgaria. The solution is somewhere else and definitely not in blaming each other," Minister Vigenin said, adding that these people should not be victims in seeking domestic dividends. In connection with the country's accession to the Schengen area, he confirmed that Bulgaria fulfills its commitments and will continue to be a secure EU border.
The objective of the visit to Moldova was to support the European integration of the country which is under some pressure in the light of the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in November in Vilnius, the minister said.