`The September 11 events in the United States shook the world but did not mark the start of the era of terrorism,` Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy stated before the participants in the European conference devoted to the fight against terrorism. According to Passy, the subsequent events were more important since they demonstrated the power of the international democratic community determined to combat and win the fight against terrorism. `The removal of Osama bin Laden and his Al Qa`ida organization is a necessary but not sufficient,` Passy said in his address to the forum. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister said that a long-term campaign is needed to fully eradicate terrorism at both international and national level. Passy also spoke about the united actions of the Bulgarian Parliament, Government and President supporting the anti-terrorist acts of the United States, NATO and the EU. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister met his counterpart Jozias Van Aartsen from the Netherlands, Anna Lindh from Sweden and Josep Pique from Spain. Passy and Van Aartsen discussed possible scenarios for the enlargement of NATO and the EU in the light of the upcoming summits of the two organizations. During their meeting, Passy and Lindh discussed Bulgaria`s accession to the EU. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister said that the formula 10 plus 2 bothers Bulgaria and that the country should be treated as an applicant catching up with the frontrunners in the accession talks. During the meeting of Passy with his Spanish counterpart Pique, Pique said that Bulgaria has Spain`s full support for membership in NATO and the EU, Pique said. The Spanish Foreign Minister said that the support is of key importance for Bulgaria, all the more so that as of January 2002 Spain takes over the rotating presidency of the EU.

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