site.btaBulgarian Foreign Minister Participates in South-East European Co-operation Process Forum in Sarajevo

114 POLITICS - SARAJEVO - SEECP - FOREIGN MINISTER - Amp.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Participates
in South-East European Co-operation Process
Forum in Sarajevo


Sarajevo, July 8 (BTA) - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva attended a meeting of Foreign
Ministers from the South-East European Co-operation Process
(SEECP) in Sarajevo, the Foreign Ministry press office said on
Monday. The forum marks the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina's
SEECP presidency.

"Regional forums such as the South-East European Cooperation
Process and the Berlin Process are a good place to communicate
and increase knowledge and understanding for one another despite
political disagreements. The SEECP has become a pragmatic tool
for cooperation, promoting specific projects, economic growth
and stability in the region," said Zaharieva in her address.

Zaharieva mentioned the significant effort on Bulgaria's part
during its EU Council presidency to put the integration of the
Western Balkans on the EU agenda. "I am delighted that the
Romanian, Finnish and Croatian presidencies continue our work.
We are trying to persuade the other EU countries that starting
negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania is a win-win
situation for both the Western Balkans and the EU," said the
Bulgarian Foreign Minister.

"We want to share our administrative experience in absorbing EU
funds so you do not make the same mistakes we did in the
pre-accession period when we failed to cope well with the
projects," Zaharieva said to the Western Balkan countries. "Now
we are in the top three of the countries that best absorb EU
structural and investment funds. Often times there is enough
funding and funding mechanisms in a region, but there is no
administrative capacity to put the projects into practice,"
continued the Foreign Minister.

Zaharieva also urged SEECP participants' foreign ministries to
discuss how to make the organization more visible and effective,
as there are many regional formats.

"It is not a good sign that two of the countries, Kosovo and
Albania, are not here. Five EU countries do not recognize
Kosovo, but another 23 have done so, and I think a formula has
been found in which Kosovo can participate in various
international forums, in which there are also states that do not
recognize it as a country," Zaharieva added.

After the ministerial meeting, the SEECP will continue with a
leadership forum, and a final document is expected to be signed
confirming the desire for a European perspective for the region,
cooperation in the fight against extremism, terrorism, human
and weapons trafficking, money laundering and corruption.

Later on Monday Zaharieva traveled to Slovakia, where she is participating in a meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on July 8 and 9 in the mountain resort of High Tatras near the town of Poprad. The meeting is titled '"From past action to future prevention: the OSCE's niche in fostering stability in Europe and beyond", the Foreign Ministry press center said. LY/DT
/DT/