site.btaBulgarian Foreign Minister Participates in Discussion on Western Balkans

Sofia, April 27 (BTA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva participated in a discussion on the future of the Western Balkans held in Brussels late on Thursday. Organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, it was opened by the organizations' former leader Hans-Gert Poettering who said in his opening remarks that Bulgaria is a centre of stability in the Balkans and a very important partner in the EU, said Zaharieva's Ministry.

The top Bulgarian diplomat said she believes that the joint efforts of the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans can make the region stable and prosperous. A step in this direction is organizing more frequent meetings between the EU and the Western Balkans, she said adding that the upcoming May 17 meeting in this format in Sofia is the first after 15 years and that it is bad when meetings between neighbours are spaced so wide apart.

Zaharieva also said that the history of the Balkans has not been easy, that open issues still remain between some countries and that more efforts are needed to carry through reforms and ensure stability and security in the region.

She said that the present moment is of key importance for the EU enlargement process and that the EC's recommendation for starting talks with Macedonia and Albania is only the beginning of the process.

Zaharieva went on to speak about the importance of reforms in the Western Balkans for the young generation. She pointed out that youth unemployment in some of these countries is 55-60 per cent and that Bulgaria was faced with a similar issue years ago.

Connectivity was also featured prominently in Zaharieva's remarks and she said enhancing it is the easiest way for the EU to show its commitment to the region.