President Rosen Plevneliev received Federika Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Head of European diplomacy is visiting Bulgaria to participate in the annual meeting between Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov and the Republic of Bulgaria’s ambassadors.
Rosen Plevneliev and Federika Mogherini discussed issues related to regional and international cooperation, to the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkan countries, the conflicts in East Ukraine and the Middle East, the migration problem and the need for European solidarity and to energy security issues. The two shared the opinion that united and joint actions should be taken to overcome the challenges related to the migration pressure along the external EU borders. “We should show unity and solidarity to solve the problems caused by the migration flow,” Federika Mogherini said.
The President and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy outlined the Western Balkan countries’ achievements on their way to integration with the European and Euro-Atlantic structures. It was highlighted that the positive results of the negotiations between the political leaders in the Republic of Macedonia are an important step towards overcoming the political crisis in the country. The good-neighborly relations are an indispensable part of the efforts to get the Republic of Macedonia back on the road of EU integration, the Bulgarian President said and added that signing the good-neighborliness agreement remains a key factor for the Bulgarian support for starting EU membership negotiations.
“Within the Bulgarian presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Process, Bulgaria will propose a joint declaration for reconfirming the inviolability of the borders in the region and we will show that Europe removes borders, it does not move them,” the Head of State said. The President further recalled that Bulgaria firmly supports the EU enlargement with the Western Balkan countries on the basis of what each of them has achieved.
President Rosen Plevneliev told Federika Mogherini about the efforts to overcome Bulgaria’s dependence on a single energy supplier and the growing political support for the integration of the energy markets in the region. Our country is working hard on the construction of reverse gas inter-connectors with the neighboring countries. By the end of the year the electricity market in Bulgaria is expected to be completely liberalized. Bulgaria firmly supports the establishment of a regional energy bourse, which will ensure competitive energy prices for consumers. Bulgaria also welcomes the efforts of the European Commission directed at ensuring better connectivity between the natural gas markets in Central and Southeast Europe and diversification of the sources and routes of natural gas supply.
As for the crisis in Ukraine, President Rosen Plevneliev emphasized that it should be resolved in a peaceful and democratic manner, by fully respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
President Rosen Plevneliev informed Federika Mogherini about the work on implementing key reforms in Bulgaria, including the measures to conduct a deep reform in the judiciary, as well as in the healthcare, pension system, energy and water sectors. “The reforms in Bulgaria should be conducted not because of Brussels, but for the benefit of the Bulgarian people themselves,” the Head of State highlighted at the talks.