The place of all the countries of the Western Balkans is in the European Union. With this message, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Svetlan Stoev opened his bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, which took place in Brussels on November 15, 2021. The first diplomats from the Western Balkans were in Belgium capital for participation in a working meeting of the countries of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP).
“Bulgaria and Kosovo have close, friendly and frank relations”, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister said in his meeting with Donika Gervala-Schwartz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. The two agreed on the need for a clear European perspective for the countries in the region, including Kosovo.
“Bulgaria and Montenegro have strong historical ties and dynamically developing relations today.” This was pointed out by Minister Stoev in his conversation with the Montenegrin first diplomat George Radulovic. The latter, in turn, thanked for the support that his country receives from Bulgaria in the process of European integration.
“In 2022, we will mark 30 years since the recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Bulgaria as a sovereign and independent state. We are concerned about the current situation in the country and call for a constructive dialogue, the full functioning of the institutions and the continuation of the reform process. Bulgaria supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, Minister Svetlan Stoev said in a conversation with his Bosnian counterpart Bisera Turkovic. She briefed the Bulgarian Foreign Minister on the difficult political situation in the country and the problems it faces. Minister Turkovic thanked Bulgaria for its support to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Energy cooperation and overcoming the severe social and economic consequences of the pandemic in the face of rising energy prices and the need to take measures to support business and households were the main topics discussed in the conversation between the Bulgarian Foreign Minister and Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic. Bulgaria reaffirmed its support for Serbia’s European integration.
