NEWS

The Head of State: Cohesion Policy is not Simply a Transfer of Funds, but is a Factor for Political and Social Stability in Europe

At a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, Rumen Radev called for having the Bulgarian scientific potential integrated in the common European defense

Cohesion policy is not simply a transfer of funds, but is a factor for political and social stability in the whole continent. It can reduce the economic immigration to the rich countries and the demographic crisis in the less developed European countries. This is what President Rumen Radev told journalists in Paris, after holding a meeting with the President of France Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. The Bulgarian Head of State is on a working visit in France at the invitation of his French counterpart.

To ensure an efficient Cohesion policy, effective measures should be taken to fight corruption. Formal reports are useless, Rumen Radev further emphasized and added that real measures should be taken to this end. “Tomorrow I will meet the French business and we will discuss the conditions for attracting French investments in Bulgaria,” the President said.

In the Head of State’s words, the fact that a second top-level meeting between the Heads of States is held within four months proves that Bulgaria and France share a common will to strengthen their partnership. “I voiced support for the French President’s visionary approach to Europe’s problems and thanked him for his support for establishing a branch of the French National Administration School in Bulgaria for the Southeast European region”, Rumen Radev said. The Head of State also highlighted France’s support for establishing an International research, scientific and medical center with technology from CERN, which can become an example of European integration in our region.

Building real defense capabilities of United Europe is a necessity without which Europe will be a second-rate actor on the world scene, the Head of State said and added that Bulgaria has a relatively big production and scientific potential in the defense sphere, which should find its place in the common European defense.

The two Presidents also highlighted the need that European solidarity should respond to the challenges the EU is facing such as migration and terrorism. “Bulgaria’s Schengen accession is an important factor that will contribute to increasing security in Europe, because the security of every European citizen starts with the security of the external borders and Bulgaria is such a border,” Rumen Radev was adamant and called for solidarity when Europe protects its democracy.

The European prospects of the Western Balkans in the light of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU were also among the topics the two Presidents discussed, it transpired from Rumen Radev’s words.

President Emmanuel Macron voiced his willingness to have the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and France develop and to have results achieved in three spheres. “We share common prospects in the spheres of defense, economic cooperation and education, and we will work together to realize them,” he said.

President Macron defined Bulgaria as an important partner regarding the EU agenda and voiced his support for Bulgaria’s forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU. “During the Bulgarian Presidency I hope that we will achieve progress in the cooperation between the EU member states in the spheres of higher education in the European universities,” President Macron further said.