site.btaForeign Minister Zaharieva Confers with Slovak Counterpart Lajcak in Bratislava

114 POLITICS-BULGARIA-SLOVAKIA-FOREIGN MINISTERS

Foreign Minister Zaharieva Confers with
Slovak Counterpart
Lajcak in Bratislava


Bratislava/Sofia, June 7 (BTA) - Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva is paying a visit to Slovakia in June 6-7. On Friday Zaharieva conferred with her Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak, her Ministry said in a press release. The two ministers concurred that the Republic of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia should receive invitations to open EU accession negotiations.

In Bratislava Zaharieva takes part in the 14th GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum.

Zaharieva and Lajcak discussed the situation on the Balkans and other issues of mutual interest. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister argued that Albania's and North Macedonia's starting accession talks will provide more tools to Bulgaria to aid the reforms in the two countries, and uphold the good-neighbourly relations.

Lajcak reiterated his country's categorical support for lifting the EU's Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in respect of Bulgaria, and the country's accession to the border-free Schengen Area.

Lajcak accepted Zaharieva's invitation to visit Sofia. The Slovak Foreign Minister said he started his diplomatic career as a trainee in the Embassy of the then Czechoslovakia in Sofia.

Slovakia sees opportunities for cooperation with Bulgaria in the production of auto parts, in the promotion of start-ups, and the implementation of the East Ring gas pipeline project which will link the biggest compressed gas station in the EU, Velke Kapusany in Slovakia, with the gas transmission systems of Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, and further on with the gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Turkey. LY/ZH//