site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Confers with Frans Timmermans in Brussels

105 POLITICS-PM-TIMMERMANS-MEETING

Prime Minister Borissov
Confers with Frans Timmermans
in Brussels

July 1 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov conferred with Frans Timmermans, the leading candidate of the Party of European Socialists to the European Commission's top job in Brussels late on Sunday. The beginning of the meeting was streamed on Borissov's Facebook page.

Borissov told Timmermans that by Sunday the European People's Party stood by its decision that the European Commission should be headed by Manfred Weber. According to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Weber has more authority in the European Parliament and a compromise seems likely for Timmermans to head the European Commission.

Borissov said that compromise was important to him, adding that after his talks with the state and government leaders of Germany France, the Netherlands, and Spain a view has emerged that it is better not to show stubbornness in the complex negotiations for the distribution of the top jobs in the EU.

Borissov outlined monitoring under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, the Schengen area and judicial reforms as issues that top Bulgaria's agenda. The Bulgarian Prime Minister said that Bulgaria is implementing the European Commission's recommendations and noted his excellent cooperation with Timmermans in his capacity as vice president of the European Commission.

For his part Timmermans said that he has always worked well with the Bulgarian authorities and said that he values his friendship with Borissov.

The meeting with Timmermans took place hours after Borissov voiced unconditional support for Manfred Weber, the spitzenkandidat of EPP, with which Borissov's party GERB is associated.

The EU summit has to negotiate the new chiefs of the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament and EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security.

The beginning of the high-level meeting was delayed by more than three hours as European Council President held bilateral meetings with EU leaders who are deeply divided on the candidates.

Talks are set to continue on Monday. IG/PP

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