Bulgaria among 13 EU countries urging faster EU integration of Western Balkans
Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva, together with the ministers of 12 other EU member states, joined in a declaration urging the speeding up of the European integration of the Western Balkans, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said on June 11.
The 13 ministers (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia) called for the opening of accession negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania in June 2019.
The joint statement highlights the importance of the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans as a key instrument for achieving sustainable stability, peace and prosperity, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said.
“All Members of the Council are urged to take far-sighted, bold decisions this month, which would promote continuous reform progress, in line with EU standards and values.
“Countries in the region need to work for close regional co-operation and make efforts for genuine good-neighbourly relations.”
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