President Plevneliev: Bulgaria Could Use Portuguese Expertise in Absorbing EU Aid

Sofia, June 15 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev met
with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva in Sofia Monday to
discuss EU funds absorption, Schengen area membership, refugee
management and bilateral trade and economic relations. The two
presidents met tete-a-tete on the first day of Cavaco Silva's
two-day official visit to Bulgaria.

Plevneliev told a subsequent news conference that Bulgaria could
use Portuguese expertise in utilizing EU structural funding.
Portugal has set an example of sensible, transparent and
efficient management of EU aid, he said, recalling that in the
early years of Portugal's membership of the bloc the country was
labelled "Europe's good student."

Bulgaria takes pride in the fact that its rate of absorbing EU
aid from the 2007-2013 programming period will reach at least 90
per cent, but despite the achievement, Sofia wants to learn
from the best, Plevneliev said.

He thanked Portugal for its unconditional support for Bulgaria's
EU and NATO membership and its consistent support for
Bulgaria's expected accession to the Schengen border-free area.
He noted that Portugal has provided Bulgaria with the software
product for the Schengen Information System free of charge.
Plevneliev expressed the hope that the efforts of the Bulgarian
government, supported by international partners, will shortly
take the country into the first stage of joining the Schengen
area by opening up the sea and air borders.

Cavaco Silva acknowledged that Bulgaria has made much effort to
meet all Schengen membership requirements and said that Portugal
will not stand in the way of Bulgaria's accession.

The European Energy Union, the "Juncker" plan and the two
countries' support for these initiatives were also discussed by
Presidents Plevneliev and Cavaco Silva.

The talks further covered Bulgaria's trade and economic
cooperation with Portugal, bilateral relations in the field of
education, science and culture, and matters figuring on the
European and wider international agenda. The two presidents
concurred that the level of bilateral trade and economic ties is
below their countries' potential. Plevneliev noted existing
opportunities for cooperation in tourism, particularly cultural
tourism, spa services, winter recreation and hunting.

Cavaco Silva said Portuguese entrepreneurs want to learn more
about the opportunities of trading with Bulgaria. He expressed
hope that bilateral cooperation will expand in the field of
renewable energy, transport and the application of digital
technology in the public administration.

The two presidents discussed the migration pressure on the EU's
external borders, urgent measures which the EU should take in
this domain and the solidarity which the member states should
show for each other.

Taking a journalist's question about a proposed immigrant
relocation scheme for the EU, Plevneliev expressed his
conviction that the member states will find a common solution
despite their differences. Whether it will be a formula or
specific quotas for each country, it is up to the European
Council to decide in a few days, the Bulgarian President said.
He noted that Bulgaria is confronted with an unprecedented
migration flow towards its borders and is taking its mission
very seriously, so it will contribute to a solution during the
upcoming European Council after laying down the facts. He said a
distinction should be drawn between war-fleeing refugees and
illegal immigrants. The EU will certainly have to open up to
those who are fleeing war, he stated.

Cavaco Silva said Portugal has shown solidarity with those EU
countries which have been most affected by the migration
pressure. Any refugee relocation scheme should take into account
the specific geographical location of each receiving country,
he said. The EU cannot ignore what has happened to the migrants
in the Mediterranean and what is happening in Libya, Syria and
Iraq, the Portuguese President said. He called for a concerted
effort by the EU and said it is necessary to talk with the
migrants' home countries and to build a surveillance system in
the Mediterranean Sea.

Plevneliev said Bulgaria will join the North-South Centre which
has been operating in Lisbon for 25 years as part of the Council
of Europe, providing a platform for promoting political
dialogue between European and developing countries.

A bilateral agreement on cooperation in language matters,
education, science, culture, sports, youth and mass
communication between 2015 and 2018 was signed in the presence
of Plevneliev and Cavaco Silva.