site.btaBulgarian EU Presidency's Final Programme Presented to National Assembly

Sofia, December 15 (BTA) - The final version of the programme of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2018 was presented to the National Assembly by the minister in charge, Liliyana Pavlova, on Friday. The programme was adopted by the Council of Ministers on December 6. Pavlova thanked the MPs for their contribution and said that their recommendations are reflected in the final version.

The programme's calendar of events is also ready. A total of 270 meetings are planned in Bulgaria, six of them within the parliamentary dimension, Pavlova said.

The programme identifies four main priorities: the future of Europe and young people - economic growth and social convergence; the Western Balkans' European perspective and connectivity; security and stability in a strong and united Europe; and digital economy and skills of the future.

Pavlova said: "We will try to make our case about the importance of the cohesion policy in order to continue the efforts for eliminating the differences between EU regions. By May, we and the European Commission should finish proposing all draft legal regulations that await us."

Kristian Vigenin, Secretary of the opposition BSP For Bulgaria parliamentary group, said: "We should not go about it with low confidence. Bulgaria should use the EU Presidency to raise its own questions too." Vigenin said BSP For Bulgaria will lend its support on matters of the EU Presidency, "but this does not mean we will be silent about all other matters." The planned no-confidence vote against the government is not intended to sabotage the EU Presidency, it can encourage the incumbents to work better, he argued.

Djema Grozdanova of the ruling GERB party, who chairs the Foreign Policy Committee in the National Assembly, said: "I believe that the challenges of the present day can only be overcome through joint actions at the European level." According to Grozdanova, the success of the Bulgarian EU Presidency will be measured by the number of sensitive dossiers which are finalized. She said: "To push for narrow national interests during the Presidency would be wrong. This is an unspoken rule which must be observed."

Yordan Tsonev, Deputy Floor Leader of the opposition Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), said: "There can be no 'security and stability in a strong and united Europe' if we continue to tolerate nationalism and radicalism." According to Tsonev, the stability of the Western Balkans depends on whether Turkey continues its accession negotiations with the EU. "The MRF is doing everything to convince its Liberal partners that Bulgaria can and will play a strong role with respect to most of the Presidency's priorities," he said.

Referring to the motto of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, "United We Stand Strong," Peter Petrov of the United Patriots (a member of the ruling coalition) said: "This is exactly what we want. We want the united Bulgarian political parties to make a strong EU Presidency."