site.btaPresidents Radev, Macron Talk in Paris

Paris, December 4 (BTA special correspondent Lora Metanova) - After meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said it was very important for countries like Bulgaria to participate adequately in the integration processes of European defence.

Radev is on a three-day working visit to Paris on December 4-6.

The Bulgarian President said: "I fully share your priority that defence and security are extremely important for the future of united Europe, as well as your views that this defence requires a strong European joint defence industry." He said that in this respect Bulgaria has a great potential for production and research. "We both expect our bilateral cooperation to deepen so that this potential can develop across Europe," said Radev.

"We would like to see a much larger French investor presence in Bulgaria," said Radev, recalling that he would be meeting with French business representatives on Tuesday.

He thanked France for its support for cohesion policy and commented that it was not just a transfer of funding but a very important thing for European unity. It could alleviate economic migration to the richer countries and the demographic crisis in the poorer countries.

Radev said one of the tasks of Bulgaria's EU Council Presidency would be to take effective steps for the protection of the EU's external borders, as well as for the mechanisms dealing with the migrant crisis. In this context, Bulgaria's entry in the Schengen area is a major factor in enhancing European security because the security of each European citizen starts with the security of the external borders and Bulgaria is such a border, the President said.

The Bulgarian head of State expressed support for the French views on reforms, perfecting European education and the joint efforts for building a single and strong European science. This is why Bulgaria also appreciates the French approach in connection to the proposal for establishing European universities, Radev said. He expressed gratitude for the support for some important projects, such as opening a branch of the National School of Administration for Southeast Europe in Bulgaria, which will help build new leaders, as well as for the creation of an international institute for sustainable development with a research center, which will be done with the participation of the other Balkan states.

The French President highly assessed the good cooperation with Bulgaria. He outlined three main areas in which bilateral relations should be developed - defence, economic cooperation and increasing investments both ways, and education. "We will support Bulgaria during its Presidency of the Council of the EU," President Macron said.