The democracies from the region of the Balkans need support to avoid stepping back from the achievements made with great efforts during the years of democratic transformation. “We need a new, second phase of democratic consolidation,” President Rosen Plevneliev said in his statement made during the Third annual meeting of the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation, held in Vienna. The Head of State called on for making long-term investments in the fundamentals of democracy – the rule of law, the independent and objective media, a real market economy and efficient public institutions.
Political leaders, among which are Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission and Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, representatives of the business environment and academic circles throughout the world are debating the challenges the future of Europe and Asia are facing and their possible solutions on the global scene. Petar Stoyanov, Bulgarian president (1997-2002) and chief of the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation is hosting the discussion.
In his statement on the topic of “Joint actions to curb the global crisis from the viewpoint of the Balkans,” President Rosen Plevneliev highlighted the prospects and solutions for a more prompt post-crisis recovery of the countries from Southeast Europe. According to the Head of State, the crisis has yet again showed the mutual dependence of the economies in the region. “When resources are limited, the need of regional cooperation is becoming more apparent,” the President emphasized and reiterated his stance that not only trade, but also the construction of a modern transport and energy infrastructure should be made a common regional priority.
The mutual dependence and connectivity of the economies creates conditions for entering a new stage of integration and this is already taking place in the Balkans. “One of the lessons that the crisis has taught us is that if we start thinking and taking action and start working together as a region, we can change the rules of the game,” the Head of State said.
The President reiterated Bulgaria’s firm support for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries from the West Balkans. However, Rosen Plevneliev added that joining the Euro-Atlantic structures does not automatically lead to ensuring prosperity, the rule of law and democracy – we have to work to this effect.
The crisis, the consequences of which we have been confronting for already six years in a row, provides an opportunity for the countries from the region to learn from the mistakes they have made. “However, there are no quick and easy solutions and ready-made recipes for solving the problems,” Rosen Plevneliev commented. “What we have to do today is remove the walls and restrictions, connect and integrate our peoples, cultures and economies – and we are already doing it,” the Bulgarian Head of State emphasized at the forum.
In Vienna President Rosen Plevneliev will hold talks with Dr. Heinz Fischer, Federal President of Austria, and will attend the ceremony of conferring the annual award of the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation to Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission.