Ekaterina Zaharieva at GLOBSEC: Countries to Learn from Mistakes of Others
08 October 2020 News
„I recall so well, six months before Bulgaria’s taking over the Presidency of the Council of the EU, we were probing whether it was feasible to champion the integration of the Western Balkans as a priority for us. We were advised against this and were told we would not get support or understanding. However, who else but we, as neighbours in the region, should do this?
Today, two and a half years later, we are witnessing the process moving at full speed ahead. Also, there will be biannual Balkan Summits, following the Zagreb Declaration.“
This was the address of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva to the international GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava, bringing together statespersons, political analysts and journalists to discuss topical issues of the international agenda.
Zaharieva took part in the Panel on the Western Balkans and EU neighbouring countries in COVID-19 times. Part of the discussion moderated by the Financial Times reporter Valerie Hopkins were also the President of Republic of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olga Stefanishina, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia Gordana Grlic-Radman, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, and the Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations at the EC Katarina Mathernova.
Asked what advice she would give to candidate countries, Zaharieva said:
„It would be good that states observe each other and learn from mistakes. One thing is certain – the path to integration into the EU is the path of reform – of rule of law, justice and institutional reform.“
In connection with Republic of North Macedonia, Zaharieva highlighted that Bulgaria was first to recognise the newly independent state and that Bulgaria has supported it on the road to the EU; Minister Zaharieva also noted that on the following day she will be discussing open issues with the new Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani.
In the framework of the forum Zaharieva had brief meetings with her counterparts from Kazakhstan and Slovakia as well as with the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.
Ivan Korcok, Foreign Minister of Slovakia and host of the event, thanked Bulgaria for participating in the conference despite the epidemiological situation. The two chief diplomats noted that the bilateral relations, embarking on their second century of history this year, were excellent.
The ministers expressed expectations that the near future see stronger two-way flow of citizens between the two countries. From September 18, 2020, citizens travelling from Bulgaria to Slovakia will no longer be required to have a certificate of a negative PCR test and to stay quarantined.
With Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Zaharieva discussed the fight against COVID-19 and the measures undertaken by the two governments to check the spread. Earlier this year, in July, the Central Asia COVID-19 Crisis Response Program of the EU worth EUR 3 mln was launched, with key focus on Kazakhstan. The ministers agreed, notwithstanding the second wave of COVID-19, to organise a virtual business forum, in view of the great potential for cooperation between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan, the latter being a traditional partner of our country.
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