Bulgaria and Poland are taking steps to significantly deepen their coordination in the sphere of security, with a focus on protecting the external borders of the European Union and countering organized crime. The agreements were reached during an official bilateral meeting between Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev and his Polish counterpart, Minister of Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwiński, the Ministry of Interior's press office reported.

During the talks, the two ministers reached a consensus that a secure common European space is only possible with reliably guarded external borders. In this regard, they emphasized the need to develop direct professional contacts to address common challenges, including the fight against transnational organized crime and countering unmanned aerial vehicles. "We share common responsibilities in protecting external borders. Therefore, we have a solid foundation for developing and deepening our joint work, including for the benefit of European security," the two ministers noted.

The ministers drew attention to the fact that, regardless of their locations along different migration routes, Bulgaria and Poland face similar threats. Minister Demerdzhiev presented the sustained trend of decreasing migration pressure on Bulgaria, highlighting the consistent protection of the external border, the provided European support, and the effective partnership with Turkey as key factors.

A central topic in the dialogue was the new security risks associated with the mass use of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Bulgarian side expressed a serious interest in Polish experience and expertise, with the goal of exchanging good practices and technologies for better protection of critical infrastructure and external borders. "Our goal is for political dialogue to lead to concrete results for the security of our citizens and the European Union as a whole," Minister Demerdzhiev emphasized.

Minister Demerdzhiev's working visit to Poland, which began yesterday, also includes a visit to the headquarters of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. There, the Bulgarian minister will hold a meeting with Executive Director Hans Leijtens to discuss the protection of the EU's external borders, countering illegal migration, and the future development of the agency's capacity and operational capabilities. As a sign of the intensification of diplomatic relations, Demerdzhiev invited Marcin Kierwiński to visit Bulgaria – an invitation that was accepted. It is important to note that this is the first bilateral meeting between the interior ministers of Bulgaria and Poland in 10 years.