site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Calls on EU to Become More Integrated after UK's Brexit Vote

Foreign Minister Mitov Calls on EU to Become More Integrated after UK's Brexit Vote

Sofia, June 28 (BTA) - Bulgaria's chief diplomat Daniel Mitov told an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Warsaw on June 27 that the EU needs to reform and become more integrated after the UK's Brexit vote, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry reported on Tuesday. Mitov said: "It is in our best interests to embrace the challenges as a chance to alter the Union and carry through the policies which remained unfinished for decades."

According to him, the concrete steps to this end should include relaxing the bureaucratic procedures, completing the single market and making it function successfully, and raising the competitiveness of the European economy.

The Warsaw meeting was an open and informal discussion about the outcome of the Brexit referendum in the UK and the country's future relationship with the EU. The diplomats noted that they do not want to devise additional political formats, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

Emerging from the meeting, Mitov expressed Bulgaria's regret for the result of the referendum, which was in favour of the UK leaving the EU. "But we must respect the will of the British citizens and be cautious because almost half of them voted to remain in the EU," he said. He expects the UK to inform the other member states about its intentions as soon as possible. "This will enable us to make our own decisions and hold a more informed discussion in an EU27 format," he said.

In his speech at the meeting, Mitov said: "We must stress that the populists in Britain who inspired unrealistic expectations should be held responsible. As soon as the result was announced, they began to go back on their promises and ideas about a quick exit from the EU, and therefore they should bear the consequences."

He called for an honest, responsible and rational debate about the implications of the Brexit vote and the future of the EU as a whole. He believes that the national governments should take responsibility for what is happening in their countries and for the lack of reforms in them. This is the only way to arrive at supra-national, joint solutions for a stronger and reformed EU, Mitov argued.

The UK's Minister of State for Europe David Lidington told the meeting that necessary talks will be held in his country and then Prime Minister David Cameron will brief the upcoming European Council about them.