Bulgaria and Slovenia share common positions as member states of the EU and NATO
23 April 2014 News
Bulgaria and Slovenia share common positions on number of issues on the international agenda, our participation in NATO, as well as the activities of the EU. This is a good precondition to work even more closely together in order to impose structural positions that are in the interest not only of our two countries, but also of the Western Balkans to which we have a responsibility as members of the EU and NATO, said Minister Kristian Vigenin at the joint press conference with his Slovenian counterpart Karl Erjavec in Ljubljana.
Slovenia and Bulgaria have excellent relations not only in the political sphere, but also in all other areas of mutual interest. The official visit of Minister Vigenin marks the beginning of a year of intensive bilateral dialogue which includes a visit of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski and meetings between the presidents of the two countries, said on his part Minister Erjavec.
The two foreign ministers discussed the possibilities for expanding the cooperation in the economic sphere. Kristian Vigenin informed his counterpart on the efforts to economise diplomacy as one of the priorities of the Bulgarian government. "We try to create a better business environment for both the Bulgarian and the foreign business," he pointed out.
Among the topics of conversation were also the EU enlargement policy and the future of NATO in the context of the upcoming Summit in Wales. Bulgaria supports the accession of Montenegro to NATO and considers that to a great extent it meets the membership criteria. The difficulties, pointed out by some partners, are surmountable, said Kristian Vigenin.
We remain firm supporters of the Open door policy, said Minister Erjavec, emphasizing Slovenia's commitment to the reforms in Montenegro’s defense sector, as well as through the Embassy for contact with NATO.
We hope that with the new European Commission and the European Parliament we will try to place the enlargement topic in the center of the European politics because recently it was not fully on the agenda. This is in the interest of all Western Balkans' neighbouring countries, added the Bulgarian Foreign Minister. According to him, one of the EU's approaches to the situation in Ukraine is the acceleration of the integration process of the Western Balkans.
Kristian Vigenin and Karl Erjavec also discussed the recent developments of the crisis in Ukraine and its impact on the strategic partnerships EU-Russia and EU-NATO. They expressed their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and hope that the already started negotiations in Geneva will lead to the stabilization of the country.
During his visit to Ljubljana, Minister Vigenin also met with the President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor. The focus of the conversation was on the latest developments of the situation in Ukraine and the EU’s position. They also exchanged views regarding the upcoming European elections.
The program of the visit of Kristian Vigenin to Slovenia continues with meetings with the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, Janko Weber, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Gregor Virant.
At the end of his visit, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister will deliver a public lecture at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana on the topic "The Future of Southeast Europe – the Bulgarian perspective."
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