site.btaPM Borissov Discusses with Spanish PM Rajoy Implementation of Priorities of Bulgarian Presidency of EU

Brussels, March 23 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov met with Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy to discuss the progress of implementation of priorities during the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU, said the government press office.

Bulgaria's aspiration to enhance connectivity between the Western Balkans and the rest of Europe and especially the efforts to build goodneighbourly relations among the countries in the region as a precondition for EU membership, was assessed in highly positive terms.

Rajoy hailed the plans to hold a EU summit meeting in Sofia on the Western Balkans.

Rajoy was widely reported to be planning to skip the Sofia summit but earlier this week the Secretary of State for the European Union, Jorge Toledo, reportedly said that the Spanish government leader would attend the first day of the summit, May 17, when the central act of the day will be a working dinner for the 28 heads of state and government of the EU. It is the next day, May 18, that the EU Presidency has included a meeting with the five Balkan countries that intend to join the EU - Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia - in addition to Kosovo, which has led to the Spanish Government to exclude the presence of Rajoy in that meeting, reported the diplomatinspain.com.