“The active political dialogue between Bulgaria and Serbia brings common success in trade and tourism and cultivates close relations between our citizens. Our frequent meetings are indicative of the new spirit in the relations between Bulgaria and Serbia and of the fact that we unswervingly pursue our common goals – to ensure a historical reconciliation and our joint future in the European Union.” This is what President Rumen Radev said, who met the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojkovic at 2 Dondukov street today.
The Head of State highly appreciated the intense dialogue between Bulgaria and Serbia and voiced hope that it will continue and deepen on different levels so that the bilateral cooperation can be promoted in the spheres of mutual interest. President Radev welcomed the deepening cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries and the active exchange of top-level visits in the past years, which strengthen the friendly relations.
“I am grateful for the commitment assumed by President Vucic to the Bulgarian national minority in Serbia during our meeting in Belgrade in June 2018 both with respect to education and to the economic development of the region, I am grateful for the increased financial aid for the media which broadcast content in Bulgarian,” Rumen Radev emphasized. The Head of State added that the fulfilment of these commitments will strengthen the public trust in the potential of the two countries to achieve progress on this issue together.
The two shared the opinion that the EU Danube strategy brings benefits to all countries from the region and it can be much more efficient if European funding of more joint projects for development along the Danube river valley is ensured. “The Danube strategy will be a priority in the next presidencies of the Council of the EU,” the Head of State said and added that a commitment was assumed in this respect in May 2018 at the trilateral meeting of the presidents of Bulgaria, Austria and Romania in the town of Ruse, which was held at the invitation of President Rumen Radev. “The Danube strategy should not be neglected because it has a great potential to ensure not only economic and social convergence in the EU, but also spiritual and cultural closeness. I believe that the countries from the Danube region have the will to unite, so that the Danube strategy can become a basic priority and produce visible results for the citizens,” the Head of State was adamant.
“Bulgaria and Serbia are united by a lot of factors – history, the close culture and the languages, but above all by their common future and the ambition to overcome our prejudices towards our region. We are grateful for the conviction and consistency with which Bulgaria supports the EU enlargement and the work done during its presidency of the Council of the EU,” the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojkovic said at the meeting.