The Stabilization and Association Agreement, which is due to be activated, will open up an opportunity for strengthening the dialogue between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU and will deepen the process of European integration. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said, who arrived on an official visit to Sarajevo, where he held talks with the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic and the members of the Presidency Dragan Covic and Bakir Izetbegovic. The Bulgarian Head of State reiterated our country’s support for preserving the whole amount of financial aid under the EU instrument for pre-accession assistance for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
EU enlargement is important for all member states, yet it is most valuable for the countries in the region, Rosen Plevneliev emphasized. The President was adamant that European integration is the basic factor for achieving lasting stability in Southeast Europe and implementing the necessary reforms, directed at establishing functioning institutions and the rule of law. “The Western Balkans have a strategic importance not only for the EU, but also for NATO,” President Plevneliev assured.
“We are ready to share our experience and to continue to be proponents of the European integration not only of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also of the rest countries in the Western Balkans,” the Head of State said. Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina are due to sign a Memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
“We remain firmly committed to the process of European integration and we highly appreciate Bulgaria’s consistent support,” President Mladen Ivanic said. He laid stress on the importance the implementation of the big energy and transport infrastructure projects with the help of EU funds will have for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We also rely on Bulgaria’s support for facilitating the export of meat from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Turkey through the Bulgarian railway infrastructure,” Mladen Ivanic further said.
The two shared the opinion that the trade worth about 80 million euros per year is below the potential the two countries have. An Agreement on economic cooperation directed at encouraging partnership between the business circles in the two countries was signed in 2014. In the President’s words, the agreements reached between the individual companies in the construction sector, food production and cosmetics are a good basis which we can build on.
“Many Bulgarian companies have gained experience in construction, pharmacy and the production of generic medicines, in the energy sector, transport infrastructure and can take part in tenders for concrete projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the Head of State further said. An Agreement on the mutual protection of investments between the two countries is being prepared, which will further stimulate the implementation of investment projects.
President Plevneliev reiterated his call on all countries in the region to pool efforts and follow the approach of improving the transport and energy infrastructure that links the Balkans. “Only together can we ensure stability, win the trust of the business circles and make the region an attractive place for investments,” Rosen Plevneliev said.
The Bulgarian President reiterated that boosting the security of the supply of energy resources for Southeast Europe requires that building electricity and gas inter-connectors should be speeded up. “Improving connectivity will allow us to establish a regional energy bourse and a regional energy market and to increase the competitiveness of our economies,” the Head of State further said.
The region of Southeast Europe suffers the negative impact not only of the crisis in Ukraine, but also of the escalation of violence in the Middle East and the changed security environment requires that a adequate response be given and joint actions be taken, it was emphasized at the meeting.
On 23 April the Head of State will visit the EUFOR base in Butmir, where he will hold talks with the leadership of the EU military mission Althea, and also with Bulgarian servicemen.