NEWS

Rumen Radev: Bulgaria Consistently and Principally Supports Albania on Its European Path and Highly Appreciates the Reforms Made

Albanian President visits at the invitation of the Bulgarian Head of State

Bulgaria reaffirms its consistent strong support for Albania's European path and our readiness to share experiences to accelerate the country's full integration. This is what President Rumen Radev said after the plenary talks and the one-on-one meeting with Albanian President Bajram Begajj. The Albanian Head of State and his wife Armanda Begaj were welcomed by Rumen Radev and Mrs Radeva with a ceremony today in front of the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

In a joint statement to the media, the Bulgarian Head of State pointed out that over the past two years Albania has stood out as a leading country in the Western Balkans in terms of reform and efforts made for European integration, which Bulgaria highly values.

I praise the way Albania is following the European path, respecting human rights, there is no discrimination against minorities and the country is implementing important reforms in the direction of strengthening the rule of law, economic freedom, the fight against organised crime, illegal trafficking, Rumen Radev said and voiced his expectation that this progress will be taken into account.  The Head of State expressed gratitude for the conditions created and the contribution of the Albanian authorities to the citizens of Albania with Bulgarian identity to be able to freely express their Bulgarian identity, culture and traditions.

Responding to a journalist's question Rumen Radev said that the EU enlargement should depend on each country's own merits, by fulfilling the Copenhagen membership criteria and especially the respect of human rights and non-discrimination. Accession should not be influenced by various geopolitical processes and, above all, it should not become hostage to internal political struggles, the Bulgarian Head of State said, stressing the importance of accelerating the EU enlargement process with a focus on the Western Balkans.

The dream and aspiration of the Albanians for 32 years is to become part of the EU and we are very actively working to meet the criteria, President Bajram Begay said and expressed gratitude to Bulgaria for being the "best supporter" in his country's accession process. In the words of the Albanian Head of State, after the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, the security of the European continent is a very delicate issue, so it is important that the EU's focus on the Western Balkans remains a top priority.

Bulgaria and Albania share a common vision for the development of our region, based on the common European principles of good-neighbourliness and cooperation, on a comprehensive regional partnership and on European priorities and policies, President Radev said, adding that the two countries share the responsibility for security and stability as NATO allies. The Bulgarian Head of State noted the importance of cooperation in the defence sector and expressed appreciation for the participation of Albanian troops in the Multinational Battle Group on the territory of this country.

Rumen Radev and Bajram Begaj highlighted the good and friendly bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Albania and the potential for strengthening cooperation in a number of areas of mutual interest. The sectors of high technologies, energy, tourism, and agriculture, strengthening contacts between small and medium-sized businesses were highlighted as promising. According to Rumen Radev, the opening of a direct airline between Sofia and Tirana will contribute to strengthening partnerships and connectivity.

The two presidents were unanimous in their strong support for the accelerated construction of Corridor No 8 and the strategic role of the project - part of the expanded trans-European transport network, not only for our two countries, but also for the entire region.  I believe that we will make even greater efforts so that this corridor is built according to all leading European standards, Rumen Radev said, adding that the implementation of the project will contribute to improving economic development, military mobility and security.

President Radev pointed to the creation of institutional and normative preconditions for deeper cooperation in culture, education and science as an important aspect of the development of bilateral relations. As an example of fruitful cooperation in this direction, he gave the opera-musical Callas and Onassis with the participation of Bulgarian and Albanian artists. The performance was premiered in front of a Sofia audience last night in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture.

The Bulgarian national minority is a connecting bridge that strengthens our mutual trust, President Rumen Radev further said and expressed his expectation that the opening of cultural and information centres of the two countries in Tirana and Sofia, respectively, will give a positive impulse to the development of bilateral relations. The Head of State welcomed the good organisation of the national census in Albania, expecting objectivity and transparency in the announcement of the results. The census was a fair and transparent process, so will be the result, the Albanian president said.

The official visit of the Albanian President to Bulgaria is the culmination of the intensive bilateral dialogue at all levels this year, when we celebrate the 110th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and Bulgaria and the 30th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.