CoE Chair Bulgaria Foreign Minister Mitov to Eurofora: We Warned on Mass Migration in EU (via Turkey

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- New CoE's President in office for the period of November 2015 - May 2016, Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, speaking to "EuroFora" shortly after taking over the Leadership in the PanEuropean Organisation's Highest Political body, that of its 47 Member States' strong Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg, Highlighted Sofia Government's way to Handle the currently "Burning" Issue of Irregular Mass Immigration/Asylum Seekers' Influx accross EU's External Borders facing Turkey, as well as some particularly Interesting Points at the Bulgarian CoE Presidency's "Priorities" for the period of November 2015 - May 2016 : See Infra) :

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    Observing the Fact that, among the Eastern EU External Borders, that of Bulgaria currently seems quite Fit to face the Huge Challenge notoriously raised, anywhere else, from the 2015 Giant "Tsunami" of many Hundreds of Thousands of Immigrants systematicaly flowing through Turkey, unlike, f.ex. to the Notorious Big Problems raised, on the Contrary, from Greece, (the Longest EU External Border Country facing Turkey), Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, etc., after Hungary, and other EU Countres, extending also to Western Balkan States such as FYROM; Serbia, etc., "EuroFora" asked the Incoming CoE's President in office, how Sofia achieved that, and what it intends to do, together with all other involved EU Countries in the foreseable Future about that :

    - "We (Bulgarian Government) have Seen that Coming Several Times before", already "Since 2013", Daniel Mitov sharly Replied to "EuroFora"s Question.

    - Mainly, "Because of Syria" developments then, he confirmed.

    => - Therefore,  "We have been Warning, that this (2015 Giant Massive Influx of IMIs) was Going to Happen", the Bulgarian Foreign Minister revealed, more than 2 Years later on)...     

    >>> - "Then, of course, we (Bulgaria) Strengthened our (and EU's External) Borders' Control", he stressed, (apparently Starting by reminding the Topical Fact of the inevitable Contribution by the Army in protecting several Kms of Border to Turkey : See Infra).

    + In addition, of holding a Good "Cooperation with our Turkish Collegues", he added, (despite a notriously dense manly Turkish Smugglers' Network, recently revealed also with a Deadly Incident accross the Road from Trukey to Hungary and Austria ; See Infra, as well as a Big Mob gathered at nearby Edirna and reportedly threatening to enter Greece and/or Bulgaria, in addition to about 6.600 Tresspassers from Turkiey arrested since the Beggining of this Year, etc).  

          => - "That is why, we have Build a certain kind (type) of Preparations over there", as he said, obviously referring to an apparently State of the Art, Modern Equipment established all along a Metalic Fence Protecting EU's Terrestrial External Borders facing Turkey, (See Infra).

    - I.e. something "Which allows us to Preserve very Well the Bulgarian - Turkish Borders" until Today, Foreign Minister Mitov concluded.

    - "Of course, we have Breaches", (as f.ex., during a recently reported Mass attempt by a Group of Afghan and/or Pakistani Immigrants to violently Tresspass from Turkey to Bulgaria, during the latest EU Brussel's Summit, Comp. Infra), and "we have our Problems", he acknowledged carefully.

    - "But, Far Less from what it Used to be", and "if (when) we were Not Prepared", estimated the Bulgarian Minister, as things stand until now.

    + "What would be Your Advise for the Future, throughout the whole Region there, because Now there must be a United EU response, f.ex. on EU's External Borders, etc. ?", "EuroFora" wondered.

     - "Our Prime Minister, (Boyko Borisov), has just send a Letter... to All his interlocutors, Prime Ministers or Heads of State, in the EU, on  Everything that we (Bulgarian Government) Think about the Negotiation Process", Mitov pointed out.

      -"This is Open Letter, and Can be Found Easily", he advised with a smile "EuroFora", as far as more details are concerned.

    (+ NDLR : See also Infra for More Statements by Daniel Mitov to "EuroFora", also on CoE/Bulgarian Presidency's PRIORITIES for Nov. 2015 - May 2016).

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    + By an Astonishing Coincidence, it's while Mitov was speaking with "EuroFora" in Strasbourg, that Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, in an Official Statement after a meeting of the Country's "National Security Council", reportedly "Identified the continuation and  growth of (Mass) Migrant Flows to and through the country as representing the most Immediate Risk to Bulgaria's Security"

    ++ Moreover, just before Mitov spoke with "EuroFora", News had arrived in Strasbourg on Slovenian Prime Minister anouncing in a Press Conference the Begining of the Construction of a Fence all over the 670 km of the Country's Borders with Croatia.

    Earlier, his collegue, Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev had reportedly anounced Sofia Government's intention to "Deploy Armed Soldiers", whenever needed, accross the European Country's Borders -which are also EU's External Borders - facing Turkey. Bulgaria has Closed its Borders to Irregular Immigrants since the End of September 2015, when it deployed a first set of some 1.000 Soldiers at the Border to Turkey, in one of the biggest moments of tesion during the Mass Irregular Immigrants/Asulum Seekers' Crisis.

    A Move Followed, more Recently, also by Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban's decision to Help Slovenia cope with the Persisting Massive IMI influx, by sending there several Dozens of Soldiers, (almost as the rest of the "Visegrad" Group Countries, including Czech Republic, Slovakia, a.o., had also done, Earlier this Autumn, by sending a Series of Military staff to initialy Help Hungary succeed to Stop that Massive Influx from Turkey at its own Borders).

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    But, meanwhile, "More than 5.000" Immigrants/Asylum Seekers have arrived at the Pireas Seaport of Athens, Greece, just in 1 Day (November 8), Transported by Jet-Propulsed a.o. Cruise Ships which regularly take them through 5 or more Greek Islands accross the Aegean Sea, where they massively arrive from Turkey, particularly since Mid-August, (Comp. f.ex. : ....), before being systematicaly boarded on waiting Buses for the Railroad Station, in order to take Special Trains (followed by More Buses on the spot) for the Borders with FYROM, at the extreme North of the country, where they can also find a recently fully furbished Camp, reportedly providing Free Food, Shelters, Hugienic Installations (WC, Showers, etc), Electricity, Wifi Internet Connections, etc, in addition to various National, EU, UNO, a.o. Humanitarian Services.

    German ChristianDemocrat/EPP Minister of Finance; Wolfgang Scheuble, reportedly Criticized, however, "the Wrong Message" which might be given to Millions of People in Syria and other Violent Conflicts-stricken Countries (including even by Extreme Islamic Terrorism by ISIL's atrocious BeHeaders, etc), f.ex. by Socialist EU Parliament's President Martin Schulz, a.o., when they Welcome, in front of TV Cameras, 2 or 3 Families from Syria and elsewhere, who have been selected in order to board a Free Airplane from Greece to Luxembourg, kickstarting an EU Commission - Funded "ReLocation" Program, in a very much Publicized Ceremony at the Airport, (which, however, curiously, ...Ommitted to mention the Number those relocated at an Early Flight which had already Ended before 7.30  a.m., making it practically Inaccessible, in real Practice, to  Most Journalists and other Direct EyeWitnesses, (Contrary to a Previous, Similar EU Program-Funded  Relocation, from Italy to Sweden by AirPlane,;  of "19" Selected Irregular Immigrants/Asylum Seekers from Erythrea, a Few days Earlier).

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    Bulgaria's Protective System for EU's External Borders vis a vis Turkey, reportedly includes not just a High Metalic Fence, but also Infrad-Red Body Heat Sensors, Movement Detectors, special Patrol Vehicles, etc., which have, however, recently faced some mainly Financial Problems, as German Newspaper "Spiegel" and Bulgarian Media denounced.

    It's also true that, during the latest EU Brussels Summit, Prime Minister Borisov had felt the need to Urgently Leave the meeting and immediately Return Back to Sofia, in order to Face the Accidental Death of one (1) Irregular Immigrant from Afghanistan, who had been reportedly hit by a Stray Bullet, after a Ricochet of a Shot Fired at the Air by Border Guards trying to Stop a Massive Irregular Immigrants' attempt to Trespass inside Bulgaria, illegaly Crossing EU's External Borders through Turkey.

    But, a little bit earlier, during Summer 2015,, it's more than 71 People who have been atrociously Killed by unscrupulus Smugglers, who abandoned a Refrigerated Track full of cadavers and run to escape from Hungary to Austria, befoere being addrsssed. Hopefuly, another such Smuggling Attempt has just been Prevented by the Bulgarian Authorities, in cooperation with EU's Agency FRONTEX, who reportedly found also a 2nd such Smugglers' Track, full of more than 1 Hundrred irregular Immigrants, including Elders, Women and Children, which had just crossed the Bulgarian (and EU External) Borders from Turkey.

    At almost the Same Time, however, more than 350+ People have been recently Killed by Drowning at the Aegean Sea, between the Turkish Coasts and Greek Islands, at EU's External Borders, during manifold Controversial Tresspassings by Turkish Smugglers abusing of some notoriously Shaky Boats, despite an officialy "Open" Welcome Policy for Asylum Seekers by current Greek Authorities, Backed by some (even if Not All) EU Officials.

    =>  - <<A so called "Humanitarianism", sometimes is Not at all Humanitarian !>>, criticized recently, vis a vis such Paradoxical situations inside nowadays Europe, a mainstream American Media...

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    + Right at the Eve of CoE's Committee of Ministers' special session Today for the Official Beginning of the Bulgarian Presidency, a Christian Greek-Orthodox Chorus from Damas, who had just arrived from Syria for Strasbourg's parallel "Holy (Sacred) Music" Festival, gave 2 exceptional Concerts, both at the Catholic Church of Saint-Peter the old, and at the City's Danse and Music Modern Auditorium, while Daniel Mitov had just arrived.

    The notoriously enDangered Middle East Christian Minority's Religious Musicians, had earlier Surprized almost all the mainstream, National French Press, by the Scandalous Fact that they had been, at first, curiously ...Denied Visa to enter France (EU), despite Official Invitations by the Organizers of the event and Strasbourg City, last August-September 2015, i.e. at the Same Time that some astonishingly had let, on the Contrary, Many Hundreds of Thousands of UnRegistered, Uknown and UnIdentified Irregular Immigrants flood EU Countries by Massive Trespassings of the Greek and EU External Borders through Turkey...

    However, they stressed, here, that their main Message was that they Wished Not to be Pushed to Emigrate, but, on the Contrary, to be Free to Continue Playing and Cultivating their OverMillenary Religious Music that originated from their Ancestors, at their Fatherland, in Syria, by overcoming, at last, those Bloody Killings with which several Civilian Syrian People are often Threatened, f.ex. by a Bomb thrown at their Streets, etc., mainly by Foreign Armed Terrorists, (ISIL, Al Nusra/AlQuaida, etc), and expressed their Pleasure to be invited in a currently Peaceful City at the Heart of Europe, (as they said for Strasbourg, which had notoriously been in the Past a Tragic Victim of Deadly and Destructive Franco-German and World Wars, before the Liberation from NAZIsm, followed by the Franco-Germa ReConciliation and the Construction of a Peaceful Europe, nowadays Challenged by various Other kinds of Issues to resolve...

    At the Beginning of one of their Religious Music Concerts, the "Saint-Ignace" Greek-Orthodox Chorus spoke about the "Byzantine (Empire/Civilisation) Music" and particularly its "imitation of Angels  in Heavens" (as he said), before playing a superb vocal polyphonic religious song. By a Timely Coincidence, "Angelus" was also the Name of an, interesting  Bulgarian Group of Singers of Byzantine, Christian Orthodox (but also Catholic, even in Latin, etc) Religious Polyphonic Music, which had been earlier invited at nearby Germany (f.ex. at Baden-LiebenZell, etc), and had planned to expand also to the French side of the Rhine river, some years ago, as the Organizers had wrote then to "EuroFora".

    Last, but not least, by also another Timely Coincidence, the Beginning of the Bulgarian CoE Presidency in Strasbourg Today came the Same Week that Christian Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos is due to Start an Official 4 Day visit to Sofia, while Bulgarian President Plevneliev will soon visit Germany.

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CoE/Bulgarian Presidency's PRIORITIES for Nov. 2015 - May 2016 :
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    + On the Bulgarian CoE Presidency's Programme at the CoE, "EuroFora" evoked with Minister Daniel Mitov particularly the Official mention of a Need of "Protecting Media from External Influence" issue.

    - In fact, "it's very Clear : We Need to Protect Freedom of Speech, and we (also) Need to Ensure that Informations Published in the Public Sphere is the Truth", "Not Deliberate DisInformation". Moreover, "Hate Speech needs to be somewhat Regulated,; because (otherwise) it's overwhelming", he added in this same regard.

    => To put it in a nutshell, in other words, the so-called "External Influences", "could be Anything" which might affect  a Media, as far as it concerns "Ethical Principles", "Exactly", he agreed with "EuroFora".

    "New Challenges", particularly those "Raised by the New Information Technomogies and Services", while the "Existing Media Regulation does Not fuly Cover the Internet area", are, in this regard, specificaly mentioned by the Official Bulgarian CoE Presidency Agenda.

    "Dynamic Migration processes" are included among the 3 main Priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the CoE during the Next 6 Months, from November 2015 up to May 2016,  together with "the situation in Ukraine", and "the Danger of Radicalisation, which may lead to Terrorist Acts",  i.e. concerning "Developments on main Political processes with an Impact on Democratic Security in Europe", which will attract a "Special Attention" from Sofia, "aiming to provide an adequate Reaction to the Imminent political Challenges", according to the Official Programe presented and debated by Daniel Mitov at the CoE's Committee of Ministers, earlier Today in Strasbourg :

    These include, in particular, 2  International Conferences on "Children and Adolescents" facing "Risks in Times of Disaster" (in order to "popularize CoE's Major Disasters' Agreementt EUR-OPA"), and on "Social Inclusion of Refugee Children". while also, in much Wider terms, the "New CoE Strategy for the Rights of the Child will be Adopted during the Bulgarian Presidency, for the period of 2016 - 2021".

    But Daniel Mitov also anounced "Initiatives" for "High Level Conferences" on "Democratic Stability", as "our Shared Responsibility for the Future of Europe" (on February 2016, after CoE Parliamentary Assembly's Standing Committee meeting in Sofia later this Month : End Nov. 2015, and the Bureau of CoE's Congres for Local and Regional Authorities), to be followed by "the Independence and Efficiency of the Judiciary", as well as on "a New approach to Integration".

    Facilitate Young People's Access to Culture, and promotion of Regional Cultural Heritage, as well as "Learning to live Together, .. in a Tolerant and Integrated Society", including on "Migration Issues, in parallel with "Equal enjoyment of Human Rights and Freedoms" also by Handicaped People, are also included among Bulgaria's priorities.

    However, from a GeoPolitical point of view, Sofia's rotating Presidency  of the PanEuropean Organisation of Strasbourg, will be focused mainly on implementing CoEs "Action Plan for Ukraine (2015-2017)" , and, "Based on the Minsk Agreements, ...will continue to support the Peaceful reSolution of the conflict in Ukraine", at the same time that it "will Strive to Associate Belarus to the CoE", considering its "main Principles and Values".