On 22-23 September, ALDE Party Co-President Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP co-organised an event entitled "Schengen: A connecting bridge. The importance of the Schengen area for Romania and Bulgaria", with the support of Renew Europe. 

The event, co-organised with Vlad Botoș MEP from ALDE Party member USR in Romania, was also attended by ALDE Party Vice-President Dan Barna, and USR President Cătălin Drula MP. 

On 22 September, Co-President Kyuchyuk called for the elimination of the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge toll during an opening press conference in Ruse, Bulgaria, at the border crossing point with Romania. 

Advocating with @botos_vlad for Bulgaria & Romania's inclusion in #Schengen.

It’s good for business, citizen mobility & regional relations.

It’s good for Europe. pic.twitter.com/Wuguop7dWf

— Ilhan Kyuchyuk (@ilhankyuchyuk) September 23, 2023

The event continued with a round table on 23 September in Giurgiu, Romania, held on a boat on the river Danube – which serves as the physical border between the two countries. Guest speakers included the two ambassadors to Romania and Bulgaria in the two countries, H.E. Mr. Radko Vlaykov and H.E. Ms. Brândușa Predescu. 

At the event, Co-President Kyuchyuk argued that Romania and Bulgaria have fulfilled all the conditions for joining the Schengen area, and the governments in Sofia and Bucharest must do everything they can for the two countries to integrate into the free movement area by the end of the year.   

🇷🇴🇧🇬 I participated in an event organized by MEPs @botos_vlad and @ilhankyuchyuk, the co-president of @ALDEParty, on the two banks of the Danube in Ruse and Giurgiu to support the desideratum - a common bridge between the 2 states: The place of Romania and Bulgaria is in Schengen pic.twitter.com/ipvfVQp85k

— Dan Barna (@DanBarnaUSR) September 23, 2023