According to EU Helpers, he made these remarks while participating in a press conference in Berlin with Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov of Bulgaria.

When asked about illegal immigration, Bulgarian Prime Minister Denkov emphasized that his nation had achieved tremendous strides in this area. This issue was one of the main reasons that Austria and the Netherlands opposed both states' admission to the Schengen Area in December of last year.

Scholz also expressed his appreciation for Bulgaria's efforts to advance border security measures in Bulgaria during the news conference, pointing out that significant advances have been made in this area.

For more than 10 years, Bulgaria and Romania have been waiting to join the Schengen Area.

The Western Balkan republics should join the European Union, according to Scholz, who also noted that the EU made a similar vow in Thessaloniki 20 years ago.

Kalin Stoianov, the interior minister of Bulgaria, recently expressed his hope that both Balkan nations would be admitted to the Schengen Area by the end of this year, stressing that the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union would do whatever it took to see this process through to completion.

The Minister added that authorities in Bulgaria have stopped 160,000 unauthorized border crossing attempts since the year's start, up from 100,000 during the same period last year.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated last month that both nations should join the Schengen Area without further delay.

Von der Leyen asserts that both states have been demonstrating best practices regarding returns and asylum, emphasizing that border protection has been strengthened.

Austria, meanwhile, continues to oppose these two nations' entry into the Schengen Area due to worries that the Schengen system is ineffective and that there is no value in extending it further.

Austria's Interior Ministry earlier informed EU Helpers that Vienna's stance on this matter hasn't changed.