Sofia, June 30 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said Saturday upon landing from Austria that Bulgaria's efforts for guarding its border plus the functioning agreement with Turkey guaranteed the protection of the EU external border. "This is solidarity," Borissov said.

"I have always said that Germany is Europe's engine and that in the past decade German Chancellor Angela Merkel has contributed for the prosperity of entire Europe. We show solidarity for this, but I understand solidarity otherwise - each country external to the EU to bear responsibility for its borders," Borissov said.

The Prime Minister went on to enumerate Bulgaria's efforts, including the construction of a more than 200 km long fence along the border with Turkey, posting police, gendarmerie, and servicemen at the border, and "giving a good example with the summit meeting in the seaside city of Varna of EU leaders and Turkish President Recep Erdogan" in late March.

Borissov said that since 2015, Bulgaria has upheld one and the same position, which is to have in place three measures simultaneously: ensuring the protection of the EU external borders, holding negotiations with non-European countries on the so-called hot spots, and discussing secondary redistribution of legal migrants.

Borissov described as a problem the political crisis on the topic that has gripped Europe. "We saw how many countries send in power people who are flatly against the migrants," he said.

In Borissov's words, the EU is yet to pay Turkey the money under the agreement on the refugees. "Turkey now keeps refugees from crossing over to Bulgaria only thanks to its goodwill," he said.

According to the Prime Minister, a common European solution is to be found as "the matter concerns not illegal migrants but those who have arrived at the European borders officially and are registered". "This is why we agreed [in Brussels] that the member states can accept such migrants voluntarily and Bulgaria stands by this position. The position takes account of the opinions of many of the member states, such as those from the Visegrad Four and the Balkan countries," Borissov said.