President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic, who is visiting Sofia, discussed at a meeting held at 2 Dondukov street promoting trade and investment exchange between Bulgaria and Montenegro and improving connectivity in Southeastern Europe. The meeting was also attended by Vice-president Iliana Iotova, the presidential office reported.

Information technologies, energy and tourism were highlighted as particularly promising areas of bilateral cooperation. Bulgaria and Montenegro are the most active countries in establishing an International Sustainable Technologies Institute in Southeastern Europe, which should contribute to the more equal distribution of the scientific potential and scientific infrastructure in Europe and create more opportunities for the professional career development of the young people from the region.

The beneficial bilateral partnership in the security and defense areas was noted at the meeting. The two countries share not only common interests and positions, but also face common challenges related to strengthening peace, security and stability in the region, Rumen Radev said. “We expect that the bilateral cooperation within NATO and the joint military exercise will continue,” the Head of State said.

Bulgaria highly appreciates Montenegro’s contribution to building good-neighborly relations and strengthening stability in the Balkans, President Radev further said and reiterated our country’s support for Montenegro’s EU accession. “Montenegro has made a lot of progress and we will continue to provide assistance in this process,” Rumen Radev noted.

Dusko Markovic voiced gratitude for Bulgaria’s principled and consistent support for Montenegro and its European integration and highlighted the actions of the Montenegrin institutions directed at strengthening the rule of law, the democratic processes, the rights of the citizens and religious communities. The two shared the opinion that building good-neighborly relations in the Balkans is a key condition for achieving progress on the way to European integration and each country in the region which has the ambition to join the EU, should be part of the joint efforts to this end.

At the meeting Vice-president Iliana Iotova raised the issue of the forthcoming consideration of the report on Bulgaria within the post-monitoring dialogue of the Council of Europe and voiced our country’s expectation for the positive solution of this topic. The Vice-president recalled that our country has been an EU member state since 2007 and member of the Council of Europe since 1992 and has met all the criteria for lifting this mechanism of the Council of Europe regarding Bulgaria. Prime Minister Dusko Markovic voiced Montenegro’s support for Bulgaria’s position.    

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