NEWS

 

The National Recovery and Resilience Plans are an investment in modernisation, solidarity, and in the shared power and future of the EU. The Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan is being drafted and will be presented in July 2021, stated President Rumen Radev, who, alongside other leaders of EU Member States, participated in a videoconference call with the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

 

The discussion was held at the initiative of Mr. Charles Michel within the preparation of the European Council meeting to take place on the 24th and 25th of June in Brussels. The measures for economic recovery following the Coronavirus pandemic, migration and other topics were discussed.

 

Although the pandemic has not yet passed, Mr. Rumen Radev called for European mechanisms for crisis response to be strengthened and for the resilience of the healthcare systems of Member States to be increased. The Head of State emphasised that in a crisis situation the European Union demonstrated its readiness to act decisively and innovatively, and that it is up to Member States to use the resources provided in the most effective manner.

 

The President expressed our country’s desire to donate vaccines to the Republic of North Macedonia and called for easing the procedures in this regard.

 

“Bulgaria pays special attention to the external dimension of migration as an important pillar of the EU’s general approach in this field,” the Head of State further noted, and welcomed deepening cooperation with countries from neighbouring regions. The President also pointed out that the EU still needs a response plan in case of a sharp rise in migration flows. “We must be prepared and have precise and clear instructions on what resources and how many people we will need for the response in the event of such a situation,” Mr. Rumen Radev said.

 

The current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, EU relations with Russia and Turkey, as well as with Belarus were also discussed. 

 

Albulena Haxhiu expressed her gratitude to President Iotova for Bulgaria’s support on Kosovo’s path toward membership in NATO and the European Union.

Iliana Iotova raised the issue of depopulation in the area along the Bulgarian-Serbian border and highlighted the need for investment to counter the adverse demographic trend.

Iliana Iotova holds a session with the President of our western neighbour Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova

The conversation took place on the sidelines of the Summit of the South-East European Cooperation Process