site.btaBelgium Should Enhance EU’s Profile During Country’s Presidency of EU Council, Belgian Ambassador Says

During Belgium’s Presidency of the EU Council, the country should have the ambition to enhance the Union’s profile as an institution and an idea, Belgian Ambassador to Bulgaria Frederic Meurice said at a conference, marking the start of the Belgian presidency. On January 1, Belgium has taken over the Presidency of the EU Council for the thirteenth time.

Belgium believes that its strategic interest lies with the EU and feels much better when it promotes and defends EU interests on an individual and national basis. For this strategy to work, Belgium needs to communicate with its European partners and know that they are reliable and responsible, Meurice said.

According to him, the preceding Spanish Presidency has achieved many results. Much has been done for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen, the ambassador added. Bulgaria has Belgium’s support for joining Schengen, he said.

During its presidency, Belgium will take the rule of law very seriously, exercising the necessary oversight to make sure that everything is in order, Meurice emphasized.

Addressing the conference, Gergana Passy, President of PanEuropa-Bulgaria said that the Spanish presidency has managed to implement a very ambitious agenda over the last six months and to provide dynamism to the topic of Bulgaria and Romania's accession to Schengen. Today, Bulgaria hopes that the Belgian presidency will provide new dynamism to the topic in the next six months, she stressed.