Bulgaria will keep pushing Schengen area bid-foreign minister

Bulgaria will keep pushing for its entry into the European Union's passport-free Schengen area, Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov said on Thursday after the Balkan country's bid was blocked following objections by Austria and the Netherlands.

"We will be pushing ahead. We may have to raise this issue again at EU summit later this month," Milkov told reporters, adding that he hopes Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen area be cleared as early as next March.