The actions of the civil society in Southeast Europe and the political will of the individual countries for peaceful development turned the Balkans from a region of conflicts into an example of peaceful development. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said in Bucharest, where he is taking part in the Meeting of the state and government leaders from the countries of the Southeast European Cooperation Process. The Head of State emphasized that the common willingness to join the EU, as well as the citizens’ ambition to create transparent and efficient institutions, are the factors that unite the countries from the region.
The positive change is a fact and the Balkan countries currently share a common infrastructure, credit institutions and economic clusters, the President said and highlighted tourism and car industry as successful examples. Rosen Plevneliev was adamant that cohesion is a key factor ensuring economic growth in Southeast Europe and it allows the production capacities in a country to create conditions for development in the whole region. Relaxing the border control and the institutions’ efforts to attract new investments are of equal importance, the President further said.
The Head of State emphasized the shared responsibility of the countries from the region to ensure diversification of the suppliers and routes for the transit of energy resources. “The only means to reduce the price of natural gas is by supporting the projects which lead to diversification of the supplies and guarantee their security,” the President said and reiterated the necessity to build inter-connectors between the gas-transit systems. In the Head of State’s view, the “integration” of the energy systems in Southeast Europe will ensure in the long run the creation of regional markets for natural gas and electrical energy, whereby the deficits in the supply of electrical energy will be overcome.
In his statement at the forum, President Plevneliev called on for not allowing Europe’s political borders to be changed by force. The annexation of Crimea undermines “the very foundations of international security, trust, peace and the rule of law,” the Head of State said. He emphasized that this creates a new situation in Europe which requires that the countries from the region and the whole EU speak in a united voice. The world should not restore the past practices whereby the “Great Powers” considered the other countries a “periphery” and decided their fate, the President further reiterated.
Rosen Plevneliev confirmed Bulgaria’s support for the process of EU enlargement regarding the West Balkan countries, as well as our country’s readiness to share its experience in the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
“The enlargement policy is not an end in itself, but serves the interests of the people in the region, who are willing to see their countries and the Balkans united by European values in the European Union, where everyone matters,” the Head of State emphasized. President Rosen Plevneliev said that the forthcoming granting of the status of a candidate EU member state to Albania is a great success not only for Bulgarian diplomacy, but also for the region as a whole.
In the July 2015 – June 2016 period Bulgaria will be taking over the rotational presidency of the Southeast European Cooperation Process. President Plevneliev voiced our country’s readiness to pool efforts to strengthen the regional cooperation in support of Southeast Europe’s economic development, security and prosperity. During the Bulgarian presidency of the organization the 20th anniversary of the highest forum for political dialogue in the region will be marked.