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Bilateral cooperation, Bulgaria’s aspirations to join the euro zone and the Schengen area, security and the EU perspective of the Western Balkans topped the agenda of a meeting that Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held here on Wednesday. Chancellor Merkel expressed support for Bulgaria and its reforms. The German leader expressed support for Bulgaria’s ambitions to enter the euro zone waiting room and the Schengen area, and said that there are conditions to be met. “If Bulgaria meets the conditions for accession to the Schengen area – and these concern the rule of law and combating corruption – then it is ready to join in,” she said. She thanked Bulgaria for its commitment to protecting the border with Turkey. “Bulgaria has improved the security of this border even though it is not a Schengen member. It has made significant efforts, and we discussed what measures Bulgaria needs to take, especially in order to suppress the trafficking in people and migrants,” the German head of government said. She added that the two countries work closely together on the policy on migrants and refugees, and that this is a common challenge for the EU.