site.btaForeign Ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia Discuss Regional Cooperation, Current Topics on European Agenda

Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia Discuss Regional Cooperation, Current Topics on European Agenda

Sofia, May 25 (BTA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov
and Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusic,
who is on an official visit here Monday, discussed regional
cooperation and current topics on the European agenda.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Croatian
counterpart, Mitov described the political dialogue with Croatia
as excellent and giving the opportunity to strengthen the
bilateral and multilateral cooperation and promote the bilateral
economic, communication, cultural and educational ties.

"There is unused potential in the economic sphere and me and
Minister Pusic agreed that we will work together to support the
development of the trade and economic relations," Mitov also
said.

"We welcome the discussion both at a high and an expert level of
the opportunity for a direct air service between Bulgaria and
Croatia," the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry noted.

Mitov also told the news conference that Bulgaria and Croatia
have similar positions on many of the current topics on the
European agenda and that these positions can be successfully
defended within the EU. The two foreign ministers discussed the
idea of coordinating the positions both between their countries
and on the regional level. Mitov thanked Croatia for supporting
Bulgaria's position that the burden of the migration pressure
should be shared among all EU Member States.

Mitov and Pusic also discussed the situation in Macedonia. "I
shared our concerns and the Bulgarian position that a clear and
firm commitment of the entire EU is needed in the process of the
country's exit from the political crisis and in the entire
transition period until the establishment of a lasting political
stability guaranteeing both the civil and inter-ethnic peace in
the Republic of Macedonia, as well as the country's territorial
integrity," Mitov noted. In his words, it is even more
important to use the crisis as an opportunity to launch actual
reforms, without which the negotiations on entry in the EU
cannot start.

Mitov also outlined the potential role of the South-East
European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in the successful EU and
Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries from the Western
Balkans. Bulgaria will assume the SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office
for one year starting July 1, followed by Croatia in 2016, he
said.

Pusic said that Bulgaria and Croatia have a series of common
interests, such as transport infrastructure, the relations with
the western and southern partners, the economic strengthening of
this part of Europe, and the stability in Southeastern Europe.
Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister outlined as other spheres of
possible regional cooperation the energy, security, stability
and the EU prospect. Other common interests include the Schengen
area and migration issues, where the burden and responsibility
should be equally distributed on the basis of clear criteria,
Pusic said.

Taking a question about the countries from the Western Balkans,
Mitov said that all of Bulgaria's neighbours should constantly
receive signals that their EU integration is forthcoming and
beyond any doubt. He recalled that the approach should be
diversified and that the entry criteria should be met. Pusic
said that the interest in the progress made by the countries in
the region which are not yet EU members, and in their inclusion
in the EU is not the result of altruism but a rational interest
in having neighbouring countries which function in accordance
with the same rules.