site.btaConference of EU Parliaments' Union Affairs Committees Holds Plenary Meeting in Sofia

Sofia, June 18 (BTA) - The Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) began a Plenary Meeting in Sofia on Monday. This is the final event within the Parliamentary Dimension of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Delegations of the Member States' national parliaments and observers from EU partner countries are taking part.

Opening the forum, Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Tsveta Karayancheva said that during the Presidency Bulgaria's Parliament had hosted six meetings which provided a platform for cooperation between national parliaments and the European Parliament. "All these events were highlighted by a debate on the future of Europe," she pointed out.

"The Bulgarian Presidency succeeded in refocusing attention back to the EU integration of the Western Balkan countries," Karayancheva said. In her words, within this context EU enlargement remains a key policy, the principal objective being to preserve security and prosperity on the European continent. "I hope that the support from the national parliaments and the European Parliament for the Western Balkans enlargement process that has been achieved so far will be adequately acknowledged by our governments at the forthcoming European Council," the National Assembly Chair observed.

"The governments and the European institutions carry on their concerted efforts to adopt effective legislation on migration management and the asylum reform," the speaker pointed out. "There is no alternative to completing this reform, and finding a compromise solution is crucial," she commented. Karayancheva noted that a fresh impetus has also been given to building an effective EU defence policy with the establishment of the EU Defence Fund and the launch of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). She also mentioned the debate on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework and the ongoing debate on updating the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.

Giving a welcoming address at the forum in English, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev praised the Bulgarian Government for developing the right priorities of its EU Presidency and for showing courage by choosing the very difficult topic of the Western Balkans as a Presidency priority.

The head of State pointed to the existing consensus on the fact that a prosperous and stable Europe is out of the question without guaranteeing the security and stability of the Western Balkans.

According to the President, the Bulgarian Government succeeded in steering Europe's agenda by demonstrating stability and organizing skills and by fostering an atmosphere of candid and open dialogue. In his words, as a strong advocate of the European project, the Bulgarian Government made enormous efforts in the search for progress in numerous areas: security, social security and social rights, the Digital Single Market, and with the start of an early dialogue on the future EU budget.

"The key to our success lies in foregrounding unity as a determining factor for the achievement of effective solutions," Radev emphasized.

The President thanked all Bulgarian officials and noted the important contribution of volunteers to the success of the EU Council Presidency.

"At the forthcoming European Council, Bulgaria will propose that all external borders should be closed and that anybody wishing to enter the EU should do so through the official border crossings and submit to fingerprinting and medical check-up," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said, speaking at the Plenary COSAC. He added that the US and Canada have adopted this approach, and the front-line countries like Bulgaria should be helped, if necessary, to make these arrangements.

The PM is not optimistic about the chances of containing the migration wave from the Middle East. He stressed that the immediate prevention option that should be underlying the fight against irregular migration in Europe is a compromise.

Borissov stressed Bulgaria's record in deterring irregular migration: building a fence along its border with Turkey, reinforcing police patrols and using patrol vessels. "As a result, we have been under zero migrant pressure for a year and a half now," he recalled. This protection cost European taxpayers 160 million euro, of which 80 million euro have been absorbed and the rest are subject to pending appeal procedures. "Bulgaria has done its job," he concluded.

Making a brief retrospect of the wars in the region, the head of government recalled that Kosovo was the scene of Europe's most recent war 15-20 years ago, which cost many lives and devastation and then billions from Europe for reconstruction. "We decided to set an example with Macedonia, and we succeeded in signing the Good-neighbourliness Treaty with [Macedonian Prime Minister] Zoran Zaev," Borissov said. He is proud that it was precisely in Sofia, during the EU-Western Balkans Summit in May, that Zaev and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras declared that they will find a solution to the Macedonia name dispute so as to unblock the progress of Skopje' integration endeavours. "We hope that Kosovo and Serbia will follow suit and join hands," the speaker said.

"We are perfectly well aware that not all [Western Balkan] countries are ready, but the perspective will make it possible to avoid the risk of wars and keep the people in the Balkans," the Bulgarian Prime Minister argued. "We have made plenty of efforts, certain progress has been achieved, and I am optimistic about one of the main causes of the Bulgarian EU Presidency," Borissov pointed out.

Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said that the Bulgarian EU Presidency will be remembered with the words "future, chance, European perspective and connectivity on the Balkans". "We are proud that we managed to bring the European perspective of the Western Balkans to the top of the EU agenda," Zaharieva said.

The Foreign Minister urged the national Parliaments to support the European aspirations of Macedonia and Albania. She noted that the next real opportunity, given the upcoming elections for European Parliament and the formation of the new European Commission, will be in 2020, and depending on the presence of positive developments. Zaharieva said that opening negotiations is not tantamount to closing them.

The Foreign Minister congratulated her Greek and Macedonian counterparts for the courage for signing the agreement ending the name dispute. She said that the signing of the good neighbourliness agreement between Bulgaria and Macedonia in 2017 gave a positive boost in the entire region.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov said that his country is now experiencing a time that will go down in history. Dimitrov said that June 17 was a historic day and also an investment in the future, "an investment in friendship with Greece". The Macedonian chief diplomat said that to a certain extent, the signing of the agreement with Greece was made possible by the support of Bulgaria, the contacts and the political leadership of Borissov and Zaharieva. Dimitrov called for support from the national Parliaments of the EU member states. "We have been at the door to NATO and the EU for many years now and we want to find the key at last," he said.

European Parliament Vice-President Mairead McGuinness pointed to the need to show that the European Parliament and the national parliaments work together. In her opinion, the motto of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency, "United We Stand Strong", is particularly apt. "We see the EU opponents stressing what sets up apart, but we must stress what brings us together," the Irish MEP commented.