Bulgaria and Greece established long-lasting good-neighborly relations and set a positive example of friendship and partnership in a region known for its contradictions and conflicts. Our two countries share similar positions based on European values, in key sectors. This is what President Rumen Radev said, who held a meeting with Nikolaos Voutsis, President of the Hellenic Parliament, at 2 Dondukov street today.
The goals which our country has set itself during the forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018, were discussed at the talks. The Head of State was adamant that formulating fair and efficient criteria and mechanisms for including the member states in different integrational EU projects should be a priority. The permanent structured cooperation, which aims at strengthening the partnership in the defense sector between individual EU member states and the participation in the European Defense Fund, were given as examples of such initiatives.
“Bulgaria and Greece should work to strengthen and confirm the leading principle of equality and the right of all member states to voice their opinion when formulating the Union’s policies,” the President said.
Rumen Radev and Nikolaos Voutsis agreed that the two countries’ joint efforts within the European institutions should be directed at building a Europe based on solidarity and in which the factors increasing the inequalities in the development of the EU are eliminated.
The meeting also focused on the measures Bulgaria and Greece should take to encourage the young people in the region to work and progress in their homelands. In the Head of State’s words, until a great part of the European funds are invested in infrastructure, it is necessary to adopt more supranational policies and programs directed at the development of the human capital.
Bulgaria’s Head of State and the President of the Hellenic Parliament highly appreciated the relations between the two countries in a lot of important spheres, including economy, key transport and energy projects, tourism, security and the fight against the illegal trafficking of people.
“Parliamentary diplomacy is an expression of the good relations between the countries and people. Bulgaria and Greece build live bridges through their strategic partnership both in terms of bilateral relations and within the EU,” Nikolaos Voutsis said. The President of the Hellenic Parliament voiced his gratitude to our country for the excellent conditions our country provides for the education of a great number of Greek students in Bulgarian universities, and also for creating an optimal environment for entrepreneurs from our southern neighbor who are doing business in Bulgaria.