site.btaFM Zaharieva Glad to See Croatian EU Presidency Continue Focusing on Western Balkans

October 18 (BTA) - Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva,
 who is paying an official visit to Croatia, told her Croatian
counterpart Gordan Grlic Radman here on Friday that Bulgaria
welcomes the fact that the Western Balkans have been placed
among the priorities of the Croatian EU Council Presidency,
which will be held in the first half of 2020. Zaharieva also
expressed satisfaction that a summit focusing on the region,
like the one held in Sofia during the Bulgarian EU Presidency in
 the first half of 2018, will be organized, the Bulgarian
Foreign Ministry reported.

"Our priorities focus on connectivity, growth, protecting
European citizens and security, migration and enlargement, of
course. We hope that the May 7 summit in Zagreb next year will
be successful and would like for you to help us with the
experience from your (EU) Presidency," Croatia's Foreign
Minister said.
     
"We will coordinate your (EU) Council Presidency and our joint
Berlin Process Presidency with the Republic of North Macedonia,"
 Zaharieva noted.

The two countries' top diplomats expressed their discontent over
 the fact that the EU Summit failed to reach consensus about the
 start of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and
Albania.

There is room for growth in trade and economic relations.
Bilateral trade stood at 281 million euro, despite the two
countries' proximity, although this was a 45 per cent increase
compared to 2017. The two ministers expressed confidence that
there is potential for much higher achievements between their
countries.

"We must work on improving connectivity. Business contacts and
tourists will increase if we have direct flights and develop
Corridor 7 under the Danube Strategy, because our countries
currently have to transport goods to each other through non-EU
countries," Zaharieva said.

Croatia is a popular tourist destination for Bulgarians. A total
 of 36,222 Bulgarians visited Croatia in 2018, compared to
22,322 Croatians visiting Bulgaria in the same year.

Grlic agreed with Zaharieva, adding that efforts must be focused
 on attracting air carriers' interest in this route. The two
ministers said they will work together on their countries
joining Schengen, the eurozone and the Organisation for Economic
 Co-operation and Development.

Zaharieva noted that there now two foreign ministers fluent in
Bulgarian after Grlic Ramadan's appointment to the post.
(Croatia's Foreign Minister has worked at his country's embassy
in Sofia 25 years ago, but still speaks Bulgarian without an
accent).

"I believe our two countries have actually invented free trade
when (Bulgarian) Tsar Ivan Asen II issued (in 1230 AD) the
Dubrovnik Charter, granting Dubrovnik merchants the privilege of
 free trade across Bulgaria," Zaharieva said.

During her visit, the Bulgarian top diplomat also conferred with
 the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandrokovic, and
 representatives of the Bulgarian community there. RY/MY
 

/МЙ/