site.btaSerbian Parliamentary Delegation on Official Visit to Bulgaria

116 - POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - BULGARIA - SERBIA

Serbian Parliamentary Delegation on
Official Visit to
Bulgaria


Sofia, March 20 (BTA) - The question of efficiently protecting
the rights of the Bulgarian national minority in Serbia was
raised by Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova as she met with
a delegation of the European integration committee of the
Serbian Parliament, said the Vice President's press office on
Wednesday.

The delegation of Serbian parliamentarians is paying an official
visit to Bulgaria March 20-21 on the invitation of the chair of
the Bulgarian parliamentary committee on European affairs and
oversight of the EU funding, Kristian Vigenin.

The guests told Iotova that it is a priority for their country
to protect the rights of the national minorities and that the
Bulgarian minority is a bridge between the two countries and
contributes to the fine relations they have. Iotova was assured
that all problems affecting the Bulgarian minority will be duly
addressed.

The Bulgarian Vice President said that the use of hate language
is inadmissible and that any open issues between the two
countries should be solved on the negotiating table.

She further underscored the importance of quadrilateral
cooperation among Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Romania, and said
that it is in the best interest of the countries to see more
dynamic development of economic relations.

She pointed out that without the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU
the Western Balkans would not have been on Europe's agenda. "You
have strong allies in the face of all Bulgarian state
institutions," said Iotova.

The visiting MPs thanked for Bulgaria's support for their
country's aspirations to EU membership. They told the Vice
President that the Bulgarian experience from the EU accession
process is important for them.

Iotova said that the countries which last joined the EU or are
about to join, can rejuvenate the European construct.

Also on the agenda were the migrant crisis and Iotova said that
Bulgaria and Serbia proved, as the crisis peaked, that they can
be guarantors of peace for the entire continent.

The guests are also scheduled to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Emilia Kraleva.

Later in the day National Assembly Deputy Chair Yavor Notev talked with the Serbian delegation.

The sides highlighted prospects for better diplomatic exchange and cooperation in the fields of economy, commerce and tourism.

Notev said: "We have common goals and tasks which we should address in these troubled and difficult times." He took stock of the improved dynamics in relations between the two neighbouring countries within the context of the European perspective of the Western Balkans after the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council.
Notev said: "Bulgaria's position on Serbia is EU membership is clear. It supports Serbia in the negotiation process."

According to the Serbian parliamentarians, the infrastructure projects, including the highway between Sofia and Nis and the railway link between Nis and Dimitrovgrad will
help improve relations between Bulgarians and Serbians.

On the agenda were also concrete steps to increase two-way trade and the building of a gas interconnector. The Serbian parliamentarians also met with members of the Bulgaria-Serbia Friendship Group in the Bulgarian Parliament.

The group's deputy chair, Pavel Shopov, said that this was a meeting between brothers. Of the Bulgarian national minority in the Western Outlands, readiness was reaffirmed on the part of Serbia issues to be resolved in the interest of both countries. LI,RY/LN,PP

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