Sofia. “The Balkans are at the heart of Europe, a region with a young, highly motivated and talented population. These young people deserve our support,” Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva said at the opening of an interparliamentary conference on the role of parliaments in the process of Western Balkans’ accession to the European Union, her ministry’s press office said. The forum gathered today in Sofia members of the European Parliament, representatives of member states’ and Western Balkan countries’ national parliaments, regional organisations and experts in the field of European integration.
“This event confirms the commitment to the future of the region made by both the European Parliament and Bulgaria,” Ekaterina Zaharieva stressed in her speech. She further pointed out that when Bulgaria identified the European future of its neighbours as a key priority for its EU rotating presidency, the country had to overcome a number of challenges and had to convince all 28 member states how important the issue was for the stability, security and prosperity of the whole Europe. “I am happy that today, six months later, these doubts have turned into a clear understanding that without the Western Balkans, whenever they are ready to become part of the EU, the European project will not be fully completed,” Minister Zaharieva pointed out. She thanked the Bulgarian MPs for their commitment to the topics of the Presidency. “During those six months, I felt the support of all Bulgarian MPs and our priorities were indeed transformed into a national cause,” she said.

Focus News Agency

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