Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva talks with Austria’s Federal Minister for the EU, Arts, Culture and Media
08 February 2018 News
The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the key subjects on the European agenda were in the focus of the meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and Gernot Blümel, the Federal Minister for the EU, Arts, Culture and Media of Austria.
They spoke today as part of the visit to Austria by Bulgaria’s top diplomat.
Zaharieva and Blümel discussed Brexit, the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, the issue of migration and the protection of the external borders of the Union. ‘I thank Austria for her declared support for the accession of Bulgaria to the Schengen Area. My country has long been ready to join Schengen and we will continue to rely on your support in the future,’ Zaharieva told Minister Blümel.
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister noted the persistent efforts of her government for the admission of Bulgaria to the ‘waiting room’ of the Eurozone. 'We have a steady 4% economic growth, while unemployment is a mere 6%', she added.
During their meeting, Zaharieva and Blümel expressed their satisfaction with the joint work of Bulgaria and Austria on the European perspective of the Western Balkans and voiced their common belief that it is the only option for stability and prosperity in the region. This key priority of the Bulgarian Presidency will be pursued further by Austria, which will take over from Bulgaria in the latter half of 2018, Gernot Blümel assured her in his turn.
‘There is a palpable positive tendency with respect to the European perspective of the Western Balkans,’ said Mrs. Ekaterina Zaharieva, adding that some of the countries there, such as, for instance, Montenegro and Serbia, have made more progress than others in that respect. Montenegro has made serious progress, indeed, having opened 32 negotiations chapters and temporarily closed three. Serbia is also doing well, with 12 chapters opened so far, two of which are temporarily closed, the Deputy Prime Minister added. Ms. Zaharieva expressed hope that Albania and the Republic of Macedonia could receive a recommendation to start negotiations by the end of this year.