Minister Zaharieva: Bulgaria works persistently for the implementation of the Sofia Declaration regarding the Western Balkans.
08 February 2019 News
Bulgaria, together with the other European Union Member States, has been working persistently for the implementation of activities envisioned in the annex to the Sofia Declaration adopted at the EU-Wester Balkans Summit. This is what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva said during Question Time in Parliament in reply to a question from Kristian Vigenin MP (from the Parliamentary Group "BSP for Bulgaria").
The Sofia Declaration and the annex to it, i.e. the so-called Sofia Priority Agenda, were signed on May 17, 2018, at the summit meeting between leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The European integration of the Western Balkans was among the key priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency.
‘This country has pursued joint initiatives with the countries of the Western Balkans, which are active in this respect, by sharing its experience from the pre-accession process, border management, the fight against terrorism and illegal trafficking, as well as the implementation of various joint projects. The improvement of physical and human connectivity for the benefit of the region and the EU remains our immediate priority,’ underscored Minister Zaharieva.
In fulfillment of the so-called Sofia Priority Agenda, the European Commission has allocated an extra 190 million Euros for road, rail and port infrastructure. The funds are earmarked for the implementation of 11 new projects. Over 300 km of railway lines will be modernized. ‘The implementation of these projects will make it possible, just a few years from now, for the distance between Sofia and Belgrade to be covered by rail in less than two hours,’ Ekaterina Zaharieva stated. Also in the pipeline is the building and modernization of a total of 400 km of road infrastructure; a priority for Bulgaria in that respect remains Corridor No. 8, which will connect the Black and the Adriatic Seas. By the end of the year, a Strategy for the development of the rail network in the region is to be adopted.
Minister Zaharieva announced that in addition to all that, possibilities are being explored to either upgrade or open new border crossing points between the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as between them and neighboring EU Member States. Progress has also been made with regard to the Energy Efficiency Package in the Western Balkans, to which end at this point the EC is allocating 30 million Euros from its budget.
‘Special attention is dedicated to contacts between young people. Projects are being developed in spheres like education and mobility, with special attention being given to the planned two-fold increase in funding for the Erasmus + Program by the end of 2020. This will boost opportunities for students from the Western Balkans to participate in EU projects, including in Bulgaria,’ said Ekaterina Zaharieva.
Among the success stories in the implementation of the Sofia Priority Agenda Minister Zaharieva also noted the efforts for abolishing the roaming fees in mobile communications in the Western Balkans, the ongoing work on energy connectivity between Bulgaria and Serbia, the implementation of the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans, and the Joint Counterterrorism Action Plan for the Western Balkans, signed in Tirana on October 5, 2018.
Asked by Kristian Vigenin about the management of Bulgarian properties abroad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that the year 2019 is scheduled to see the sale of pieces of Bulgarian real estate in 9 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Greece, Canada, Colombia, Nicaragua, USA, Uruguay, and Finland. In the course of 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received BGN 6,039,000 in proceeds from rental of real estate, whereas since the start of Minister Zaharieva’s term of office, Bulgaria has sold one piece of property overseas: the building of its former Trade and Commercial Office in the Hague, for the amount of 1,165,165 EUR.
Minister Zaharieva made it clear that the sale of Bulgarian properties overseas follows a strictly public procedure. ‘We at the MFA prepare an analysis and draw up a report. The final decision about how best to dispose of a piece of property, including by selling it, is made by the Interdepartmental Commission in charge of government assets overseas,’ said the Foreign Minister.
Asked by Ivan Ivanov MP (BSP) about cases involving custody of children of Bulgarian nationals in Norway, Ekaterina Zaharieva gave her assurances that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our embassy in Oslo are working hard to make sure that any Bulgarian national requesting assistance over a specific case will receive such assistance. The Embassy in Oslo stands ready to make available on request a list of names and contact details of qualified attorneys-at-law with expertise in Norwegian matrimonial law. The MFA also organized bilateral consultations between representatives of competent Bulgarian and Norwegian institutions. Minister Zaharieva underscored that the surest way for Norway to change its legislation about child protection would be on the basis of a ruling of the European Court for Human Rights.