site.btaBulgaria Backs Launch of NATO Accession Talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Georgia

Brussels, April 27 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Speaking at the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers' session here on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said Bulgaria supports NATO's open door policy and believes that it is time to put under way the Membership Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Georgia.

This is important for regional security and stability, Zaharieva said. She said the debate was of great importance to Bulgaria, adding that putting this topic on Friday's agenda was a very important sign. The matter of launching the Membership Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina may be left for the NATO Summit in July.

Zaharieva said a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council could be expected at the end of May. The general opinion is that for now there is no reason to change the approach to Moscow, which consists in developing defence capabilities and continuing dialogue.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister said NATO's support for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State should continue because some radicalization and terrorism issues still remain. The foreign ministers share the view that when the time comes, partnership with Libya should strengthen, she said.

Commenting on the latest developments in the Korean Peninsula, Zaharieva said this was a historic moment. She said: "We were all made hopeful by those actions but we remain cautious and hold that all measures against North Korea should continue until today's statements become a reality - nuclear disarmament does not happen so easily. Bulgaria's position is unchanged: strict sanctions while keeping the channels for dialogue open."