site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Addresses ASEM Summit in Brussels

113 POLITICS - ASIA - EUROPE - SUMMIT

Prime Minister Borissov
Addresses ASEM Summit
in Brussels


Brussels, October 19 (BTA) - Addressing the 12th ASEM Summit in Brussels on Friday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov highlighted his country's contribution to connectivity in the Balkans, viewing it in the context of connectivity between Europe and Asia, the Bulgarian government reported in a press release. ASEM is the political dialogue forum known as the Asia-Europe Meeting.

Borissov said Bulgaria has been working hard to enhance connectivity in the Balkans. He recalled that connectivity was one of the key priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2018. A major achievement of the Presidency was that it renewed the EU's focus on the European perspective of the Western Balkans, he said.

The Prime Minister noted: "The Sofia Declaration, adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, stressed the importance of cooperation in all areas of connectivity, including transport, energy, digital, economic and people-to-people connectivity."

Discussing Europe-Asia relations, he said: "The EU's new comprehensive strategy for connectivity between Europe and Asia provides an excellent basis for interaction with our Asian partners." Borissov observed that over the last few years Bulgaria has become far more committed to implementing initiatives to strengthen the ties between the two continents in such key areas as employment, finance, sustainable development, human rights, culture and education.

In the first half of this year alone, Bulgaria hosted two ASEM ministerial meetings, one on culture and the other on finance, Borissov recalled. RY/VE
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