site.btaForeign Ministers of Bulgaria, Czech Republic Discuss Tourist Season, Travel Conditions

June 11 (BTA) - The tourist season and travel conditions
featured high on the agenda of a meeting here between caretaker
Foreign Minister Svetlan Stoev and his Czech counterpart Jakub
Kulhanek, who arrived on a working visit to Bulgaria on Friday.
The meeting was also attended by caretaker Tourism Minister
Stela Baltova and Deputy Health Minister Toma Tomov.

Afterwards, Stoev told journalists that what had been discussed
and agreed on during the meeting will ease travel in the coming
months.  

Kulhanek said that Bulgaria is a favourite destination of many
Czech tourists. During the meeting, he raised the question
whether they will be able to visit Bulgaria without testing or
self-isolation 22 days after having received one dose of a
vaccine against COVID-19. Deputy Health Minister Tomov assured
the guest that the matter will be discussed by an expert
council.

EU enlargement was also on the agenda, with both sides
confirming the European perspective of the Western Balkans,
Stoev told journalists. When it comes to the Republic of North
Macedonia, Bulgaria's position continues to be that it is of key
 importance to maintain goodneighbourly relations and receive
the necessary guarantees for the implementation of the 2017
Treaty of Friendship, Goodneighbourliness and Cooperation, he
stressed. "I can assure you that in the last days included,
everything possible is being made both by Bulgaria and the
Republic of North Macedonia to build a positive atmosphere and
restore the trust in our relations," Stoev said. He added that
Bulgaria expects from its closest ally a constructive response
for finding a sustainable and lasting solution, which will
contribute to the security and prosperity not only of the two
countries but also of the region as a whole.

The Czech Foreign Minister said that his country makes efforts
to unblock the EU enlargement process and to show the Western
Balkan countries that this common European future is real. "We
know that the process is long but we believe that the EU should
send a strong message that the Western Balkan countries are
being relied on and will be included," he commented.
 
Regarding Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, he
expressed the hope that an intergovernmental conference will be
organized as soon as possible. "We know that will be only a
single step down a very complex road that awaits us, but despite
 that I believe we have a common opinion with the Bulgarian
State, that we support the Western Balkan countries' entry in
the EU and one day becoming full members of the EU," Kulhanek
underscored.

The ministers also discussed the 2014 explosion at a military
ammunition warehouse in Varbetice. "What happened in the Czech
Republic and the [similar] explosions in Bulgaria are an
important impetus to hold discussions within the entire EU on
what relations we should have with Russia, " Kulhanek said.
There is active exchange on information on this case between
Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, both foreign ministers noted.
     
Also on the meeting's agenda was the topic of the July 11 snap
elections in Bulgaria and the opening of voting sections in the
Czech Republic outside of the Bulgarian Embassy. Kulhanek
committed to have this matter settled in the coming days.

RY/DS


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