Bulgarian President in Zagreb: European Project Will Not Be Complete until Western Balkans Join EU

Zagreb/Sofia, April 14 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rosen
Plevneliev said in the Croatian capital Zagreb on Tuesday that
the European project will not be complete until the Western
Balkan countries join the EU, Plevneliev's Press Secretariat
reported. "This is the only way to ensure lasting stability and
prosperity in the whole region," Plevneliev said during talks
with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

The Bulgarian President is the first foreign head of state to
visit Croatia officially at the invitation of President
Grabar-Kitarovic, who took office in February. The two-day visit
 will end on Wednesday.

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Plevneliev and Grabar-Kitarovic concurred that the European and
Euro-Atlantic integration of Southeastern Europe creates
opportunities to deepen Bulgaria's all-around partnership with
Croatia. The two were unanimous that the integration process in
Southeastern Europe has no alternative and is an important
driver of major reforms in the Western Balkans.

The guest noted that in the context of European integration,
Bulgaria attaches great importance to good-neighbourly relations
 and insists on a European approach to shared national
histories. He told the Croatian President that Bulgaria will
keep up its consistent support for the European integration of
its neighbours.

Grabar-Kitarovic thanked Bulgaria for its support for Croatia's
accession to the EU and NATO.

She and Plevneliev said that joining the Schengen border-free
area is a priority for their countries and they will pool their
efforts to achieve this goal.

Plevneliev recalled that Bulgaria's and Romania's prospective
Schengen entry was politicized in 2010, which was a mistake.
This temporary problem should be resolved soon because the entry
 criteria are purely technical and Bulgaria and Romania met them
 a long time ago, which has been recognized repeatedly by both
the European Parliament and the European Commission, he said.
According to Plevneliev, Bulgaria is protecting its national
borders with due responsibility and is strictly performing its
duties.

Plevneliev and Grabar-Kitarovic believe that the increased
migration pressure on the EU's external borders calls for
European solidarity and sharing of the burden among individual
member states.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

The two presidents are of the opinion that it takes a concerted
effort of all Southeast European countries to unlock the
region's economic potential and attract more investment. Poor
transport and energy connectivity is a major stumbling-block to
speeding up the Balkans' economic development, they admitted.

Plevneliev called for a joint effort and a regional approach to
building modern transport and energy infrastructure. According
to him, the creation of a European Energy Union should start in
the Balkans.

"The establishment of a regional energy exchange will help to
build an integrated energy market, overcome the dependence on a
single supplier and ensure that energy resources are sold at
market prices," Plevneliev said. Energy security can only be
achieved through connectivity between electricity and gas
networks and by building a system of interconnectors. "Each
country in the region has the right to buy natural gas at a
competitive price and to have access to alternative suppliers,"
Plevneliev said.

The changing security situation in the region requires an
adequate response, and Bulgaria and Croatia will continue to
fulfill their obligations in NATO, Plevneliev and
Grabar-Kitarovic said. They discussed stability risks arising
from the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

Discussing a possible direct air service between Sofia and
Zagreb, the Bulgarian President said that work on the matter has
 been going on for a few years now, and with business contacts
and tourist exchange on the rise, it can be accomplished
shortly. For her part, Grabar-Kitarovic said that the
authorities are making efforts to establish direct air services
between the national capitals in Southeastern Europe in order to
 spare travellers the need to go via Vienna, Munich or Rome.

The level of economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Croatia,
with an annual bilateral trade volume of 140 million euro, is
below the two countries' potential, Plevneliev and
Grabar-Kitarovic said. They reaffirmed their willingness to
promote direct contacts between Bulgarian and Croatian
businesses in order to implement joint projects. "I am convinced
 that tomorrow's business forum at the Croatian Chamber of
Economy will create a good basis to build upon in the coming
years," Plevneliev said.

Both countries prioritize the development of high-value-added
sectors and innovation in the IT industry, which is conducive to
 bilateral business-to-business relations, the presidents said.
Tourism is another sector with potential to grow, offering
opportunities for joint tourist packages for third countries.

Plevneliev thanked Zagreb for the good treatment of the
Bulgarian community in Croatia which is well-integrated and
accepted in Croatian society.

Cultural dialogue between the people of Bulgaria and Croatia has
 existed for many centuries, Plevneliev said. He noted that
Bishop Josip Strossmayer holds a special place in
Bulgarian-Croatian relations as he has gone down in history as a
 champion of Slavic unity and a supporter of the Bulgarian
national liberation movement in the 19th century. It was through
 Strossmayer's support that a seminal collection of Bulgarian
folk songs by the brothers Dimiter and Konstantin Miladinov was
printed in Zagreb in 1861 and Bulgarian students received
scholarships for Croatian schools, Plevneliev recalled.
Nowadays, over 100 students study Bulgarian at the University of
 Zagreb.

Later in the day, Plevneliev met with Croatia's Prime Minister
Zoran Milanovic and Parliament Speaker Josip Leko.