NEWS

The Head of State: We Have the Ambition to Make the European Union Stronger after the End of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU

The European Union should be stronger when the Bulgarian Presidency is over. The Bulgarian institutions will actively work and be united to this end. This is what President Rumen Radev said, who held a meeting with the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker at 2 Dondukov street today. At the talks the Head of State assured President Juncker that our country is ready to join the Schengen area and the two voiced conviction that Bulgaria’s accession will improve the security in the EU.

Before Bulgaria’s President and Vice-president, the President of the European Commission confirmed his support for our country’s efforts to strengthen the EU integration prospects of the countries in the region and to activate the dialogue with the Western Balkan countries.

Rumen Radev and Jean-Claude Juncker discussed the actions taken in the past year to build a common European defense. In the Head of State’s words, the strengthened cooperation in the sphere of the Common foreign policy and security policy is positive for Bulgaria and is an important visionary step for the EU. The President voiced our country’s readiness to take part in future common projects in the sphere of military industry, science and building joint capabilities with the member states in the defense sector.

The meeting also discussed the topic of drawing up the EU budget after Brexit. Jean-Claude Juncker and Rumen Radev agreed that when working out a future multiannual EU financial framework what should be taken into consideration is the growing need in the EU for more security for the people, strict control over the migration processes towards the EU, and also implementing key projects for connectivity and development of the European regions.

“I am happy that Bulgaria took over the rotational Presidency of the Council of the EU and I am convinced that the country is excellently prepared to fulfill its commitments in the next six months,” President Juncker was adamant and said that Bulgaria will host the EU at an extremely important moment for the development of the Union. At the meeting Jean-Claude Juncker highly appreciated Bulgaria’s fiscal indicators and voiced the opinion that the country is ready to launch the accession process to the common European currency.