(ANSA) - SOFIA, 03 DIC - "Instead of European solidarity, Bulgaria gets cynicism!" That is how Bulgarian President Rumen Radev commented on Facebook on the Netherlands' "no" to Sofia's accession to the Schengen area. "Recently, three Bulgarian policemen died guarding the EU's external border. Yet, on the other hand, the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, impermissibly implied that you could cross this border with a 50-euro banknote," Radev added. Recalling that, unlike the Netherlands, the European Commission has pointed out on several occasions that Sofia has fully met the criteria for Schengen membership.

Bulgaria has recently been experiencing heavy migratory pressure on its 260-kilometer-long border with Turkey, and the government is committing substantial resources to deal with it.

The agenda of next week's Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) meeting includes expanding the Schengen area to Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania.

According to diplomatic sources quoted in Sofia media, there are no objections to the proposal to accept Croatia. Still, the Netherlands is against Bulgaria's accession, whereas Austria is against both Bulgaria and Romania. The Netherlands' veto on Bulgaria was made official yesterday by the Dutch government.

(ANSA).