site.btaTourism Minister Angelkova Holds Meetings in Brussels

Tourism Minister Angelkova Holds Meetings in Brussels

Brussels/Sofia, March 17 (BTA) - Bulgarian Tourism Minister
Nikola Angelkova held meetings with ranking European Commission
(EC) representatives in Brussels on Thursday. She conferred with
EC Vice President Kristalina Georgieva, with Migration, Home
Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, with
Walter Deffaa, Director General of DG Regional Policy of the
European Commission, and Director-General Joao Aguiar Machado of
the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, said the
Tourism Ministry.

Angelkova said during the meetings that Bulgaria's revenue from
tourism stands at over 6 billion leva and that the sector
employs close to 370,000 persons. "With consistent and dedicated
action these figures can increase further," she added.

She expressed hope that tourism will have more opportunities to
use the financial instruments of the EU, along with other
sources of financing.

Angelkova also spoke of Bulgaria's intention to consider
relaxing the visa issue procedures for citizens of third
countries. She discussed with Commissioner Avramopoulos the need
to study the experience of other countries and apply the best
practices.

Walter Deffaa accepted Angelkova's invitation to attend a
ministerial meeting of the Danube countries due in Sofia June
8-9 under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization. The
forum will be supported by the EC's Directorate-General for
Mobility and Transport, said Director-General Joao Aguiar
Machado.

During the meeting with the two Directors-General, the two sides
highlighted the importance attached to the Danube River and the
better prospects for development of tourism that improved
Danube navigation is expected to bring about.