Bulgarian Interior Minister Roumen Petkov would coordinate Bulgaria's participation in EU's External Borders Fund by 2013 and the European Return Fund 2008-2013, the government information service said.

These two financial instruments are part of the Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows framework programme that started in May 2007.

The framework programme grants financial instruments meant to provide investment support to EU member states in the fields of justice, freedom and security.

The European Return Fund was created to apply a common European policy on the return of third-country nationals residing illegally in the EU, Focus news agency said. Bulgaria is expected to receive about 5.2 million euro under this fund.

The External Borders Fund will provide support to EU member states in control and surveillance of EU's external borders. Bulgaria will not yet receive any funding under this financial instrument by 2009 since it is a Schengen beneficiary, but will be able to start absorbing money under the fund from 2010 on.