site.btaForeign Minister Mitov: EU Accession Negotiations Have Criteria That Must Be Met by All Countries

Foreign Minister Mitov: EU Accession Negotiations Have Criteria That Must Be Met by All Countries

Sofia, March 17 (BTA) - The negotiations for EU accession and visa liberalization contain specific criteria that must be covered, and there can be no exception for any country, said here on Thursday Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov, adding that this pertains to Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Turkey. Mitov took part in a discussion on Europe's dilemmas and the prospects of the Western Balkans, organized by the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry and the European Parliament Information Office in Sofia.

"What we are upholding today at the European Council, is that if some dates are set for some type of liberalization, it must be clear that Turkey is obligated to commit itself to a date, from which it will start applying the readmission agreement between the EU and Turkey," Mitov said, adding that there must be sufficient time to see whether the agreement is truly applied.

Answering a question about the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, the Foreign Minister said that in order for this mechanism to be lifted, a judicial reform must be done and those are the efforts of the Bulgarian Government.

Speaking at the forum, Mitov noted that EU enlargement is going very slowly and there is a risk that this enlargement fatigue may turn into deep-rooted scepticism.

He commented the migration crisis, noting that it is not just a matter of finding solutions for stopping and managing migrant flows or institutional measures for the return and readmission of people. Actually, it is a key point of entry into the much broader and more important debate about the EU's foreign policy and presence outside its borders, "about the political, institutional and financial commitment that we have, and to me, this is the context of seeking future solutions," he said.

ECFR Associate Director Francisco de Borja Lasheras noted that the circumstances are changing in the Western Balkans and European policy can not proceed in its customary manner. Geopolitics are making a comeback, he said. The EU is managing very well with long-term projects, with aid, however, the other players are fighting for the minds and hearts of people and are playing firmly, he said, adding that EU enlargement must be a main policy.