"We have always been of the position that every country that is a candidate for EU membership must have its own merits for its participation in the European Union, as well as respect all the rights and responsibilities that it has assumed in the process. So we are ardent supporters of the enlargement of the EU, but subject to the general conditions and the procedure that is known to all".
This was stated by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev in Berlin, where he participated in the Summit within the framework of the "Berlin Process".
The Prime Minister emphasized that with regard to the bilateral meetings, in the course of the process, it was proposed to expand the negotiations to the level of a candidate member state - the EU, in order to avoid contradictions between two countries.
"Ultimately, we have done this with the Republic of North Macedonia and we are obviously moving forward, as a good example was given at the meeting - that one country negotiates with the entire European Union," Glavchev said.
The Prime Minister commented that during the meeting it became clear that Montenegro will close the negotiating chapters by the end of the year, and that Albania is expected to start opening negotiating chapters during this period, and that it was hoped that, that Serbia could also launch negotiation chapters at the beginning of 2025.
"Regarding the Green Program, for which we took part, I emphasized the particularly important role for us of Corridor No. 8, which connects Italy, Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria in the west-east direction. Reaching Varna and Burgas, the corridor will also allow access to the north-south axis from Greece to Romania, which even has a global dimension. We emphasized the importance of this corridor," added the prime minister.
The government press service specifies that the Prime Minister made a speech in the second panel of the forum on the topic "Green Agenda, Connectivity, Energy". The Bulgarian Prime Minister emphasized the development of transport corridors, such as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which will reduce trade barriers and improve mobility in the region. Glavchev also highlighted energy connectivity, as well as investments in energy infrastructure and renewable sources. They are vital to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and align with the Western Balkans Green Agenda.
The Berlin Process was established in 2014 as a platform to strengthen cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans and the host countries of the Berlin Process, as well as the EU. | BGNES
