site.btaBulgarian President Praises Montenegro for European Integration Effort

Sofia, December 15 (BTA) - Receiving Montenegro's Parliament President Ivan Brajovic in Sofia Friday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev praised his country for working actively for its European integration. Radev said: "You are a model for the other countries in the Western Balkans and you have proven that opportunities open up when we rally around European values and adhere to them in our actions."

Brajovic and a delegation of Montenegrin parliamentarians led by him started a visit here on Thursday at the invitation of National Assembly Chair Tsveta Karayancheva.

Radev went on to say that the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2018 will work for the European perspective of the Western Balkans. "Montenegro is a model of individual progress as an EU candidate country," he noted. He believes that every nation in the region should be judged on its own achievements in its national reforms and on the degree of meeting the EU membership criteria. As a sign of support and acknowledgement for Montenegro's efforts, the country President Filip Vujanovic has been invited to become the first Western Balkan head of state to visit Bulgaria during the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council, Radev said.

Brajovic said that Montenegro wants to use the period of the Bulgarian EU Presidency to solidify its progress towards membership and to open all remaining chapters in the membership negotiations. Brajovic said: "I am confident that Bulgaria will boost the integration process in the region and will make it a leading topic for the EU so as to ensure that the progress of the countries is steady and irreversible."

The Montenegrin Parliament leader welcomed the efforts to connect Bulgaria and Montenegro with better transport infrastructure and the joint measures to promote bilateral tourist exchange.

The sides noted that Bulgaria and Montenegro maintain vigorous political dialogue and fruitful bilateral relations in many areas. Radev said the political contacts should help bolster bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He noted that, at 15 million euro annually, two-way trade is below the existing potential, and it is also necessary to invigorate the programmes for reciprocal investment.

Radev and Brajovic identified security, tourism, science and education as promising areas of bilateral relations.