Kristian Vigenin: It is important EU to provide a clearer perspective to the Eastern Partnership countries
25 November 2013 News
Bulgaria and Georgia share good political and economic relations that we continuously develop. The two countries have achieved active cooperation, especially on the issues of European and Euro-Atlantic integration. This was said by Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristian Vigenin at the joint press conference with the Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze who is on an official visit to Sofia at the invitation of her Bulgarian counterpart. During the visit, the two ministers signed a Protocol for enhanced cooperation and consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and Georgia.
"Georgia needs such partners as Bulgaria to go through the hard path towards the EU and NATO," said in turn Minister Panjikidze. "We congratulate Georgia for the fact that in recent years it has achieved great success in its economic development and in the development of the democracy in the country," said Minister Vigenin, expressing satisfaction that the current government of Georgia continues to follow the foreign policy priorities of the country.
"The presidential elections were the latest test for democracy in Georgia," said Maia Panjikidze. According to her, the election results have sent a clear message to the partners that 80 percent of Georgian citizens approve the European orientation of the country.
Bulgaria supports the initialling of the Association Agreement with the EU, part of which is the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement. "For us it is important that the EU provides a clearer perspective to the Eastern Partnership countries. It is important for our partners to know which is the final goal of this process, "emphasized the Bulgarian Foreign Minister.
His Georgian counterpart expressed confidence that the EU will respond to the desire of those Eastern partners who strive for closer cooperation and better integration into the European structures. Maia Panjikidze expressed disappointment with the decision of Ukraine and Armenia not to participate in the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, but emphasized that Georgia respects this choice.
At today's meeting the two foreign ministers also discussed issues of bilateral relations with a focus on economic cooperation. They shared the view that it has not achieved its full potential and expressed commitment to work actively for the use of the existing perspectives.
According to Kristian Vigenin, additional business opportunities in both countries will be provided by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement, which will stimulate the trade and economic exchange and the mutual investments. Other priority areas of cooperation are transport, energy and environmental protection.
The Foreign Ministers reiterated their readiness for active collaboration within the framework of the forthcoming in the first half of 2014 rotating presidency of Bulgaria of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. „For long, the Black Sea was considered a border line that separates us. Now we lay the beginnings of a new understanding of it as something that connects us, „Kristian Vigenin said. Among the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of BSEC is expanding the cooperation with the EU and connecting the projects under the framework of BSEC and initiatives within the Danube Strategy.
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