Bulgaria and Serbia are example of two countries working together in the interest of their people
03 July 2014 News
Bulgaria and Serbia are good neighbors and friends and they serve as an example of how two countries that have no serious problems with each other can work together in the interest of their people, said Minister Kristian Vigenin at a joint press conference in Belgrade with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić. I believe this gives positive signals both to the business and the people, and stimulates the active administrative cooperation, he added.
The relations between the two countries are stable and sincere and we want them to be based on common interests, said Ivica Dačić. He emphasized that in the short period since he serves as foreign minister, he has talked with his Bulgarian counterpart several times within various international formats, which is an affirmation of the active political dialogue between Bulgaria and Serbia.
The two top diplomats agreed to hold political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries in the autumn of this year. Their purpose is to facilitate the work on the Treaty of friendship, cooperation and good neighborly relations and to discuss issues related to the European integration of Serbia. It is important to focus on the signed by both parties Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of European integration, said Minister Kristian Vigenin, adding that he had invited Serbia’s Chief Negotiator to the EU to visit Bulgaria.
The foreign ministers discussed also the opportunities to strengthen the bilateral economic ties, sharing the view that building a modern transport infrastructure will contribute to the promotion of trade relations and will attract foreign investments.
Kristian Vigenin and Ivica Dačić commented also on energy issues. They underlined that the implementation of the South Stream project is of interest both for the two countries and the region of Southeast Europe in terms of energy security.
During his visit to Belgrade, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister met with President Tomislav Nikolić with whom he discussed the European perspective of the Republic of Serbia. Bulgaria supports Serbia on its path towards the EU, because we believe that EU membership of the Western Balkan countries is a guarantee of stability in the whole region, said Kristian Vigenin. The Serbian head of state thanked for Bulgaria’s support and emphasized that the closer cooperation between the two countries - both in the bilateral and multilateral terms - will contribute to the welfare and the improvement of living standards of the Bulgarian and Serbian people.
Minister Vigenin held talks with President of the National Assembly of Serbia Maja Gojković,with whom he discussed the possibilities for expansion of the parliamentary cooperation. I'm sure you are already noticing that the preparation for EU accession requires many changes in legislation. Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Parliament may provide expertise in that direction, said the Foreign Minister. It is useful to learn not only from the good experience, but also from the mistakes in order to avoid them, said Maja Gojković.
The visit of Minister Kristian Vigenin to Belgrade continues with laying a wreath on the memorial plaque of Vasil Levski and Georgi Rakovski, meeting with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej and with representatives of the Bulgarian minority in the Republic of Serbia.
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