A remarkable event for Bulgaria and the whole European Union took place on Thursday at Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint at the Bulgaria-Turkey border. The new European Border and Coast Guard Agency was officially launched on Bulgarian territory. Bulgaria’s Premier Boyko Borissov, Bulgaria’s Minister of Interior Rumiana Bachvarova, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri, Ministers of EU member states and Turkish officials attended the event. The new Border and Coast Guard Agency is launched on Bulgarian territory as a sign of recognition for that country’s efforts to deal with the migrant crisis. “Bulgaria has been fulfilling strictly its engagements towards the EU in recent years. I am happy to see at this event the vali of Edirne. The work of the new agency is not against Turkey. On the contrary, it should be a sign to everyone in Europe that the agreement between the EU and Turkey on the readmission of migrants is important. No border police is capable of dealing with few million migrants on its own. Turkey should remain our strategic partner”, Bulgaria’s Premier Boyko Borissov said at the ceremony. According to EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, officers from the new agency will be responsible for the intercommunication with Ankara. The budget of the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency will amount to EUR 320 million per year. It will focus on operations in the Mediterranean Sea aimed at boosting security in Italy and Greece. Bulgaria’s Minister of Interior Rumiana Bachvarova pointed out during the event that the new equipment, facilities, specially-trained dogs and thermal imaging surveillance cameras are of extreme importance for Bulgaria. The new structure will consist of 1,500 people. It will focus on operations in Europe’s hot spots which experience problems related to migrant pressure. The agency will have its own equipment-sea vessels, aircraft and vehicles. Its task will be to assist the European countries in the readmission of illegal migrants. Former Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri who is now heading the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency explained that the new agency will dedicate itself to the task to manage the protection of the EU external borders effectively, but will be also empowered to make operational decisions which concern the most-vulnerable member states. Bulgaria is a frontline country and one of the most-vulnerable to migration pressure countries, but the new structure has sent signals that it would also operate inside Europe, which was also subject to heavy migrant pressure.