Bulgarian Interior Minister Mihail

Tibor Draskovics signed a legal mechanism for asylum seekers, the Interior Ministry said in a press release. The two participated in the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in

The administrative agreement is about practical measures for eased application of Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 of February 18, 2003, establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national.

The agreement lays down the legal framework for practical measures which will facilitate cooperation between the two countries' bodies competent to examine asylum applications. It will improve information exchange between Bulgaria and Hungary and will provide additional safeguards for the rights of asylum seekers.

The EU interior ministers participating in the Justice and Home Affairs Council adopted a declaration proposed by the French Presidency condemning the terrorist acts in Mumbai, India, in which between 90 and 150 people were killed and between 270 and 350 people were wounded.

Source: BTA