site.bta Serbian National Assembly President Holds Talks in Sofia

Serbian National Assembly President  Holds Talks in Sofia

Sofia, February 23 (BTA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told visiting here Serbian National Assembly President Maja Gojkovic on Tuesday that Sofia highly values its constructive dialogue with Belgrade. The two countries share many views and interests in common, which is a fine basis for good neighbourly relations, Borissov said, quoted by the government's press service. He added that his country fully supports Serbia's European integration and is happy about its achievements and progress.

Transport connectivity, infrastructure development and close cooperation in the field of energy should be the main bilateral priorities of the two countries, Borissov said. He recalled that at the end of 2015 the Bulgarian Energy Ministry completed the first phase of the construction of a reverse-flow natural gas interconnector with Serbia and arrangements are now being made to obtain funding for the second phase. "The active work of both sides for the implementation of this project is very important for ensuring the security of gas supplies in Southeastern Europe," he said.

Borissov and Gojkovic also discussed the migratory flow to Europe. They concurred that the matter calls for enhanced cooperation and communication, particularly between neighbouring countries, as well as unity and solidarity within the EU and Europe as a whole. Borissov said Bulgaria is diligently performing its duties as an external borderland of the EU, and pointed to the need for a common European solution to the problem.
  
Later on Tuesday Gojkovic conferred with President Rosen Plevneliev, Plevneliev's press secretariat said. At the meeting Plevneliev said that the region of Southeast Europe will achieve lasting stability and realize its economic potential only when the process of European integration is complete and Serbia and the other countries in the Western Balkans become part of the EU.

The President said that Bulgaria will continue to be a good partner for the realization of Serbia's European perspective and that this country is ready to share its experience in the process.

Plevneliev urged the two countries' foreign ministries to finish soon the talks on signing a bilateral agreement of good neighbourliness, which he described as a viable instrument in support of regional stability which will also boost two-way trade and investments. The Bulgarian head of State argued that neither Bulgaria nor Serbia can separately be attractive to big investors. "Only together the countries in the Balkans can ensure stability in the region and establish themselves as a recognizable market," Plevneliev said. He again called on the countries in the region to unite in the creation of a common energy exchange.

At the invitation of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic Plevneliev will visit Serbia and the areas where Bulgarians live there. The Bulgarian head of State recalled that he was assured on many occasions that the matter with the publication of textbooks in Bulgarian for the Bulgarians living in Serbia will be resolved and that Bulgaria expects this to happen soon.

Plevneliev supported the institutionalization of the trilateral format for cooperation between Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania, as well as expanding the cooperation between the Parliaments of the three countries.

The two officials concurred that the increased migratory pressure on Europe requires joint actions by the European countries, as well as efforts to decrease the tension and cease hostilities in the Middle East and Northern Africa. One of the migratory routes goes via Serbia and a total of 600,000 people have passed via it so far. Gojkovic said that 90 per cent of those migrants were registered and thanked for the EU's financial assistance to this effect.