NEWS

Switzerland Supports Bulgaria’s Schengen Accession

Bulgaria will work so as to ensure an increased bilateral investments cooperation and trade with Switzerland and is ready to encourage more Swiss companies to choose to invest in Bulgaria. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a meeting with Doris Leuthard, Federal President of the Swiss Confederation, who is on an official visit in Bulgaria at the invitation of the Bulgarian Head of State. The trade worth 260 million euros achieved in 2016 and the total amount of Swiss investments in Bulgaria worth 1.8 billion euros in the past 20 years, are indicative not only of the active political dialogue, but also of the trust between the businesses in the two countries, Rumen Radev emphasized and highlighted the rapid development of the ICT sector in Bulgaria, bio-agriculture and tourism as potential spheres in which the economic partnership can be strengthened.

“It is extremely important that Bulgaria continues to improve its business climate for attracting investments and we can contribute to this end. Within the EU, we rank third as a trade partner and hope that our position here, in Bulgaria, will be even stronger,” President Leuthard said.

Rumen Radev thanked for the active cooperation within the Bulgarian-Swiss Programme for transforming the Bulgarian society in the spheres of justice, the rule of law, education and environment. “The DOMINO project launched a new approach to dual education and training in Bulgaria and set a very good example of how education, young people and businesses can be connected,” Rumen Radev said. The Head of State highlighted our country’s ambition to improve the opportunities for education and professional realization of the young people so that they can stay in Bulgaria. President Leuthard, for her part, said that an increasing number of European countries are willing to share the Swiss experience in dual education as an efficient measure for reducing youth unemployment and improving social integration.

Within the forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, Bulgaria will also rely on Switzerland’s support for implementing the set priorities for achieving a higher economic growth and employment, for guaranteeing security and coping with the migration flows, for strengthening the EU presence on the world stage and building a European energy union. “The EU Cohesion policy is a key tool to bring the European countries closer together and to implement the goal of the Rome declaration to increase the Union’s competitiveness on the world stage,” President Radev emphasized. The Head of State thanked President Leuthard for Switzerland’s contribution to Cohesion policy, although the country is not among the EU member states.

Switzerland will support Bulgaria during the Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will be held during a period of a great number of challenges not only Europe will be facing, but also the neighboring regions, given the continuing conflicts there, President Leuthard emphasized.

Both Rumen Radev and Doris Leuthard highlighted the importance of the European prospects for the Western Balkan countries, as a major factor ensuring stability and security in our region. President Radev reiterated the need of a stronger cooperation with and support for our neighbors’ European integration and highly appreciated the Swiss Confederation’s consistent policy in supporting not only the reforms conducted in these countries, but also the economic development of the countries in the region by investing over 2.5 billion Swiss francs in different projects.

The security of the European states, the adoption of efficient measures for coping with the migration flows towards Europe and fighting terrorism are a common priority for the European states, and Bulgaria and Switzerland will strengthen their partnership in these spheres, it emerged at the meeting. President Leuthard confirmed Switzerland’s support for Bulgaria’s Schengen accession and the Bulgarian Head of State reiterated that our country met all criteria for Schengen membership way back in 2011 and cannot accept the establishment of new political criteria, which constantly postpone the country’s membership.

Later the Bulgarian and Swiss Heads of State will take part in a public debate on the topic “Europe – on the way to a digital future”, which will take place in the aula of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”