site.btaPM Borissov: All European Commissioners Will Visit Bulgaria by End of May; EC President Juncker Invited Too

PM Borissov: All European Commissioners Will  Visit Bulgaria by End of May; EC President Juncker
Invited Too


Brussels, March 20 (BTA corr. Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Speaking to
Bulgarian reporters here, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko
Borissov said that by the end of May all European commissioners
will visit Bulgaria. Borissov expressed hope that European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker too will pay a visit to
Sofia, to coincide with the commissioning of the newest Sofia
metro service - to the airport, by the end of March or in early
April. "These are billions of euro worth of projects which could
never have happened to Bulgaria without the EU," Borissov said.
"Thus, people see how European funding is absorbed in Bulgaria.
And when such persons come to Bulgaria, it makes the news in
all countries. In the isolation Bulgaria had fallen, people came
only to criticize it," the PM said.

Borissov also expressed hope that for next year the EC would
guarantee the Bulgarian Development Bank 1 billion leva for the
rehabilitation of more buildings, at a zero interest rate.

The PM also commented that Bulgaria is one of the EU member
states not satisfied with the format of discussion of the
problems of Greece. He said Bulgaria is directly interested in
the developments in its neighbour, on account of the 30 per cent
Greek banking ownership in Bulgaria. He said that the February
agreement remains in force for Greece. In his words, the Greek
government must come up with measures for stabilization of the
country "very quickly".

Borissov said, invoking a recent statement by opposition
socialist leader Mihail Mikov, that "apparently, there is not
enough critical mass to submit a vote of no confidence" in the
cabinet in Bulgaria. Mikov had said that such a motion could be
resorted to "when greater criticism accumulates in the public".

Borissov commented, tongue-in-cheek, that the opposition could
not but be pleased that the European funds suspended when they
were in power are now working, that a million leva were paid to
grain growers in early January and that the stability in
Bulgaria is improving. "He is right to say so, saying these
things is the opposition's job," Borissov said.