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"We recognize that the Roma problems are also European problems and the European Union can not leave Romania and Bulgaria to deal alone with this. What we can do, is to attract public attention to Roma issues”. This was part of Germinal Peiro’s speech in Veliko Tarnovo. Mr. Peiro is a President of the Group for Friendship between Bulgaria and France. Parliamentary delegation from the National Assembly of the French Republic, accompanied by French Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Etienne de Poncins, accepted the invitation of Center Amalipe and visited the office of the organization, where he met with some of the most active Roma organizations in Bulgaria: Association "Integro", Foundation "The Health of Roma" - Sliven, Association “Diverse and equal”.

During the meeting Deyan Kolev from Center Amalipe presented a letter, prepared by a group of Roma activists, addressed to the French Parliament and President Sarkozy. In the letter they insist the French Parliament to stop the expulsion of Roma from France, to establish a French-Bulgarian investment program, aimed to the poorest areas in Bulgaria. These are the areas where the largest number of immigrants in West European countries come from. Another issue in the Roma activists’ letter is the continuation of the dialogue with the Bulgarian government for Roma integration.

The letter is also insisting on international attention on Roma issues and also the continuing support to the efforts for a unified European Roma Strategy. Lily Makaveeva of Integro Association appealed the case of expulsion of illegal immigrants not to be characterized by ethnic, because talking about the “expulsion of Roma”, further increases the stigma on community. Representatives of the French delegation agreed that each case of expulsion should be considered personal and not as a result of appurtenance from a particular ethnic group.

“We all are convinced that, the Roma are part of the society, in which they are living and they should have all rights, as other people who are living in European Union”- added Jean Gaubert, chairman of the group for economical issues.

“The fact that thousands of Europeans agreed to go in other European countries, where they live in very poor conditions, show that life in their own counties is even worse. What EU should do is to decide completely this problem within the European Union and French Authorities will assist other counties to do the same thing”.

Representatives of the delegation expressed their interest on Bulgarian Roma problems, integration policies, and why, despite those policies, the Roma in Bulgaria are still living in conditions that force them to emigrate to seek a better life in other countries.

Dr. Stefan Panayotov from Foundation “Health of Roma "- Sliven said that he believed one of the reasons is that Roma in Bulgaria are still seen as a problem, not as potential. "Roma in Bulgaria are an unrealized opportunity" - he pointed out.

After the meeting the representatives of the French delegation visited the shacks on "Aleko Konstantinov" street in Veliko Tarnovo and met with the people who live there in very bad conditions. Activities for removal from the shacks and accommodation of people have already started, but for some of people living there the problem is far from resolved. Representatives of the delegation undertook the obligation to raise the issue for sooner resolution of this problem before the mayor of Veliko Tarnovo.