site.btaBerlin Process Foreign Ministers Convene in Skopje about Western Balkans

March 11 (BTA) - Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva and her counterpart of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov hosted in Skopje the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Berlin Process concerning the Western Balkans.

After the meeting, Foreign Minister Zaharieva said that this first joint presidency of Bulgaria and North Macedonia is a sign that an EU member state and an EU candidate can work together for the good of the region.

Foreign Minister of the Technical Government of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov said that the joint presidency will win greater trust in the region of the Western Balkans, and that it boosts the confidence of the Western Balkans, demonstrating that two neighbouring countries can do it. The joint presidency is also important for the bilateral relations. It is an additional tool that can be used to solve the other important issues between the two countries, according to Dimitrov.

The priorities of the joint presidency of Bulgaria and North Macedonia include further development of the cooperation in the Western Balkans, improving all types of connectivity: transport, energy, digital, interpersonal; integrating young people, developing education and protecting the environment.

Within the framework of the meeting, the six countries of the Western Balkans: North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a joint statement, confirming their resolve to become full-fledged members of the European family and to implement the necessary reforms to that end. RI/MT
/МТ/