site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Participates in Bled Strategic Forum

Foreign Minister Mitov Participates in Bled Strategic Forum

Bled, Slovenia, September 2 (BTA) - The Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Mitov participated in the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, his ministry said Wednesday. Over the last decade, the Bled Strategic Forum has grown into a successful platform for high-level strategic dialogue among leaders from the private and public sectors on key issues facing Europe and the world in the 21st century. This year's tenth edition was dedicated to new partnerships. Mitov participated in the panel titled "Western Balkans: a Region at the Centre of Geostrategic Deliberations".

"The EU will never be complete without the countries in the Western Balkans. It is our responsibility to work with them, to create an environment in which we can develop common transport, energy and other infrastructure projects," Mitov said.

The European integration of the Western Balkans is a basic priority for Bulgaria. In MitovТs words, the European future of these countries would guarantee sustainable democracy and would distance them from the reviving totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on a global scale.

The inclusion of the countries from the region in the common European energy union is crucial, Mitov commented. In the context of the changing migrant flows, the Western Balkans should be incorporated in the common European measures to deal with the problem, he added.

On the sidelines of his participation in the Strategic Forum, Mitov also had working meetings with Slovenian President Borut Pahor, the country's Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec and Hoyt Brian Yee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, US Department of State. MitovТs talks focused on the subjects related to the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East, the threat of the so-called Islamic State and increased migrant flows.