Mladenov Convinced Bulgaria Will Join Schengen by 2011 End

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov has stated that Bulgaria will be "technically" ready to join the Schengen Area by March 2011.
Upon arriving back to Bulgaria from Lebanon where he was part of a state delegation led by Prime Minister Borisov, Mladenov commented on the letter of the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany sent to EU Commissioner on home affairs Cecilia Malmstroem stating that Bulgaria and Romania were not ready to join the Schengen Agreement in March 2011, as the two countries have hoped.
"We need to keep in mind that the general situation in Bulgaria, the unresolved problems in the judiciary, the legacy on the issues of corruption and organized crime all reflect upon the Schengen accession process. We just have to resolve this by March, there is no need to try to escape from the truth. As a normal, civilized nation, let all of us work to cut the cord between those who are connected with organized crime and corruption in Bulgaria and those who make Bulgaria's image abroad. We need to get our job done to join Schengen. I am convinced that we will become part of the Schengen Agreement by the end of 2011. The rest is in the hands of the legislative branch and the judiciary," Bulgaria's top diplomat state