Daniel Mitov: We should start shaping our own history
21 November 2014 News
We need to realize that if we don’t start shaping our own history someone else will do it for us. Europe and the democratic world need to regain confidence and fight for the values that are the foundation of our identity, said Minister Daniel Mitov at the first day of the annual Atlantic Council Energy and Economic Summit, held on 20-21 November in Istanbul. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister participated in the Special Plenary Session "Completing Europe Whole and Free" together with Bujar Nishani, President of Albania, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland (1995-2005) and Ana Palacio, Foreign Minister of Spain (2002-2004).
We know where we are, we know what we stand for and we need unity in order to defend it, said Daniel Mitov. But we do not know what is on the other side and in order to figure it out, we need dialogue. The basis of a future open dialogue with Russia lies on the values it professes, on what it is prepared to accept and what it is not. We need to know who are we talking to. Analyzing the past 25 years, Minister Mitov pointed out that with the fall of the Berlin Wall we started talking about the end of history because everyone believed that there is no alternative to liberal democracy.
Despite the enlargement fatigue in the European Union, the enlargement process needs to continue, said Minister Mitov. Bulgaria fully supports the European perspective of the candidate countries and is ready to help them on their path to European integration by sharing both our successes and our failures, he said. If I need to convey a message to the European Commission and the European leaders in general, it is - encourage the candidate countries, visit them more often, pay attention to their concerns, said Minister Mitov.
Southeast Europe is one of the most vulnerable regions in terms of energy security as it relies on one single supplier. Meanwhile, prices are up to 40% higher than in Western Europe and there is also insufficient infrastructure and connectivity systems. In parallel, the SEE region has a huge potential. Turkey and Greece represent a strategic perspective route for diversification and a gateway for additional gas supply. We should focus on diversification, expansion and modernization of energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, sustainability, competitiveness, etc., he said.
It is important to remove our dependencies and the initiative for creating an energy Union is an important step in that direction. We have to show unity and continue further the integration process. Crises like those in Ukraine and the Middle East are a challenge, and they put an end to the 25 years of relative comfort. But they are also an opportunity. An opportunity to realize who we are, what are we fighting for, what do we stand for, said in conclusion Minister Daniel Mitov.
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