President meets with members of ECR group in the European Parliament
Expanding connectivity within the EU is key to tackling the economic and energy crisis and to avoiding exacerbating inequalities between member states, President Rumen Radev said before members of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament. Vice President Iliana Iotova also took part in the meeting. The conversation was initiated by the ECR group, which is holding an off-site meeting in Sofia.
The protection of the EU's external borders is a common commitment and should be a priority for all European countries, the Bulgarian president stressed. He pointed out that stepping up support for the frontline countries, which are subject to the heaviest migratory pressure, guarantees the security of all member states. The head of State also called for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen based on the established criteria. He pointed out that the accession of the two countries would contribute to the consolidation of the EU both in terms of the Union's security and of strengthening its economic potential by avoiding artificial dividing lines in the context of the economic crisis and disrupted supply chains. Vice President Iotova called for the legislative package on migration and asylum to move forward so that there is a real reform of European policy in these areas.
Responding to a question, Rumen Radev stressed that the energy policy of the caretaker government has guaranteed the security of energy supplies not only on a national but also on a regional scale. The President recalled that the caretaker cabinet took office in the midst of an inherited energy crisis and this necessitated the accelerated completion of the construction and commissioning of the interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria, as well as the doubling of the reserved capacity of the liquefied gas terminal at Alexandroupolis. Bulgaria has also negotiated access to Turkiye's LNG terminals and, with the support of the EC, the specialised construction works on Bulgarian territory of the interconnector with Serbia had started. Bulgaria has also initiated the Solidarity Ring (STRING) project to transport additional quantities of natural gas along the Southern Gas Corridor to Europe through the gas transmission infrastructures of European countries. ECR representatives also raised the issue of building a green economy in the EU and called for a rethink of the pace at which this transition is taking place, which has an impact on the overall development of member states.
The European perspective of the Western Balkans was also put to debate, with ECR representatives stressing that the individual progress of each country should be at the heart of the process. Before the representatives of the European Parliament, Radev raised the issue of the systematic violation of the rights of Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia, although the country has repeatedly insisted that its readiness to launch EU membership negotiations.
Russian Federation's war against Ukraine and the ensuing negative consequences for Europe's security and economy, as well as the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue, were also the focus of the meeting.