The accession of the Western Balkans countries into the European Union is in Bulgaria's interest, stated Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov at a security forum held in Serbian capital Belgrade Thursday.

"The eventual EU-joining of countries from our region is of a strategic interest for Bulgaria. Our country has gathered valuable experience in EU integration and is ready to share it with its neighbors," said Mladenov.

At the same time, he spoke of the need for boosting palpable cooperation among Balkan countries in the areas of trade, energy, infrastructure, and combating transborder crime.

"The Balkan countries share a common cultural and historical heritage and this is something we can build on. We know what unites us is stronger than what divides us," said the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister.

The Belgrade security forum was opened by Serbian President Boris Tadic, who expressed worries that confrontational events in Kosovo, along with international recognition of its unilaterally declared independence, might have negative effects on security globally.

The conference in the Serbian capital was also attended by the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as representatives from the European Commission.

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