NEWS

The President: The EU summit on Eastern Partnership enhances the European prospects of Moldova and Georgia

“The current EU summit on Eastern Partnership has a historical significance, because it enhances the European prospects of Moldova and Georgia,” President Rosen Plevneliev told representatives of the Bulgarian media in Vilnius, after taking part in the EU top-level forum in the capital of Lithuania. During the forum Agreements for associating the two countries with the EU were signed and Azerbaijan signed an agreement for alleviating the visa regime with the EU.

The Head of State voiced his firm belief that the process of associating with Moldova and Georgia will be successfully completed and this will happen before the current European Commission serves its full term in office. “Bulgaria will also actively support this process,” Rosen Plevneliev was adamant.

At a working meeting held between the Head of State and David Cameron, prime minister of Great Britain, the issue of Great Britain’s fulfilling its obligations to lift the restrictions on the access to its labor market, which are selectively directed at specific EU member states was discussed. Rosen Plevneliev reiterated before the British prime minister Bulgaria’s expectations that these restrictions the Bulgarian workers are facing will be lifted as of 1 January 2014. According to the British prime minister, the actions that his country would take regarding the workers from other EU member states will not be of a discriminatory, will be valid for all EU member states and will comply with the European rules.

The EU understands the situation Bulgaria is in regarding the migration pressure and supports the efforts of the institutions in the country to solve the problem. This is what Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, emphasized at a meeting held with President Rosen Plevneliev. According to the Head of State, European solidarity, not only in the EU as a whole, but also in the individual member states, is extremely important in the conditions of limited financial resources. According to Herman Van Rompuy, next year the EU will pool efforts to develop a common European approach towards the refugees and the illegal immigrants.

Rosen Plevneliev reiterated that Bulgaria will continue to support the process of associating Ukraine with the EU. Ukraine’s relations with the EU cannot be the topic of talks held with third countries, the Head of State further said. He added that the EU needs “a new basis and a clear policy” regarding Russia and the European leaders expect that the European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs will pool efforts to this effect.

Rosen Plevneliev was adamant that Bulgaria will continue to support the projects for diversification not only of the routes, but also of the sources of the supply of energy resources to the EU regarding the East and Southeast European countries, including the countries from the EU Eastern Partnership.