Brussels, 24/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Bulgarian and Romanian Presidents, Gueorgui Parvanov and Traian Basescu respectively, announced in Sofia on Thursday 23 September that they would not accept that the accession of their countries to the Schengen zone be linked to the current Roma affair. “Our first priority within the European Union is to join the Schengen zone in March 2011 (...). We categorically oppose direct or indirect links being made with other issues, notably the Roma”, stressed Mr Basescu. His Bulgarian counterpart, Gueorgui Parvanov, confirmed that the integration of minority groups could not constitute a criterion for entry into Schengen. Going on implicitly to criticise France, he explained that sanctions and expulsions on the basis of ethnic background are unacceptable. Since the end of August, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Pierre Lellouche, has referred several times to the possibility of postponing the deadline of 2011 for Bucharest if Romania failed to improve the integration of its Roma community. Nonetheless, the Commission remained firm: “There is nothing in the Schengen Agreement about the integration of the Roma”, announced Matthew Newman, the spokesperson to the Commissioner for justice, Viviane Reding. “The integration of minorities is not part of the Schengen acquis, which is assessed on lifting internal border controls, issuing visas, police cooperation, a willingness to connect and use the Schengen information system and data protection”, the spokesperson explained. (B.C./trans.fl)