site.btaBulgarian, Serbian Ministers Confer within Framework of China-CEE Summit in Belgrade

Bulgarian, Serbian Ministers
Confer within Framework of
China-CEE Summit in Belgrade


Belgrade, December 16 (BTA) - Within the framework of the Third
Meeting of the Heads of Government of China and Countries of
Central and Eastern Europe, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for
Coalition Policy and Public Administration Roumyana Buchvarova,
Regional Development and Public Works Minister Liliyana Pavlova
and Transport, Information Technology and Communications
Minister Ivaylo Moskovski held meetings with Serbian Cabinet
members here on Tuesday.

At their session, Buchvarova and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister
and Trade, Telecommunications and Tourism Minister Rasim Ljaic
discussed the opportunities for deepening bilateral economic
cooperation, the Bulgarian Government Information Service said.
Serbian Finance Minister Dusan Vujovic also attended the
conversation.

Considering the China-CEE Summit that is taking place in
Belgrade, the two Deputy PMs talked about the opportunity of
opening a joint Bulgarian-Serbian-Romanian tourism centre in
China. The idea is to attract a larger flow of tourists from
China to the three Balkan countries.

The situation surrounding the South Stream project was discussed
at the meeting. Buchvarova reiterated the position expressed by
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during his visit to
Berlin.

The Sofia-Kalotina Motorway (leading to Bulgaria's border with
Serbia) remains a priority of the Bulgarian Government, and the
design for its construction is completely ready, Pavlova assured
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Construction, Transport and
Infrastructure Minister Zorana Mihajlovic when they conferred in
Belgrade on Tuesday, the Bulgarian Government Information
Service said.

The motorway project will be implemented if financial resources
are available, and in 2015 Bulgaria will focus on finding
financing for it. Sofia-Kalotina is part of a package of
projects for the financing of which Bulgaria is applying under
the Juncker Plan.

Bulgaria and Serbia will continue to pursue bilateral
infrastructure cooperation. Under the Cross-border Cooperation
Programme for 2014, Bulgaria does not lose funding according to
the N+2 rule, the press release says.

Pavlova told Mihajlovic that Bulgaria sent the draft of the new
Cross-border Cooperation Programme to the European Commission
for approval back in September. The experts in Brussels
recommend that the Serbian side carry out public consultations
on the Programme's environmental assessment. The Serbian Deputy
Prime Minister committed herself to act on the comments.

At the meeting with Mihajlovic, Moskovski raised the question
about joint efforts to encourage the process of building
projects under the EU Connecting Europe Facility. To this end,
the sides discussed the implementation of projects for the
modernization of the road and railway infrastructure between
Sofia and the border with Serbia.

Moskovski stressed that Bulgaria is open for dialogue and
cooperation in air navigation services, within the context of
the Single European Sky Initiative. The two ministers considered
the need of holding negotiations to sort out the financial
relationships between the two countries' railway operators.
PK/LG

//