Brussels, 16/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - “Bulgaria can count on the support of the four Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) to join the Schengen area”. This was the message sent out on Tuesday 15 February by the Slovakian ambassador in Sofia, Karol Mistrik. Slovakia is currently presiding over the Visegrad or V4 group, an informal group set up in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR which aims to strengthen the influence of these four countries. These declarations come just at a time when certain Western European countries, including France and Germany, are opposing Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the Schengen area. In this connection, Mistrik refused to say whether the V4 have enough weight to convince these countries that “the technical criteria incumbent upon Bulgaria and Romania for joining Schengen should not be linked to the progress they make on corruption and organised crime”, a final section overseen by the European Commission, he said. The ambassador also affirmed: “I do not want to second-guess the way in which the political dialogue at the Council of the EU develops. I can only speak for my country and the Visegrad group”. Nonetheless, he did explain that “we will do everything possible” to help Bulgaria join the Schengen area and that “at a political level, Bulgaria has a great chance because this year, two of the V4 countries will be presiding over the EU” - Hungary until the end of June, followed by Poland in the second half of 2011. (S.P./transl.fl)