Eurasia Press & News
Bulgaria’s President, Georgi Parvanov, asks for the development of a pragmatic regional program for the adaptation of the EU “Europe 2020 strategy” to the Balkans since the region is the next step in the expansion of the Union.
Parvanov is in Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the meeting of Heads of State of countries participants in the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), which was launched on Bulgaria’s initiative in 1996.
The President addressed the progress of the negotiations for Turkey’s and Croatia’s EU accession and in the commitments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia under the Agreements for Accession and Stabilization.
The Bulgarian Head of State stressed on the importance of lifting visa requirements in Europe because they are an obstacle for the free exchange between Europeans, he said.
Parvanov reminded that Bulgaria was one of the initiators of the process of alleviating the visa regime between Bulgaria and the Western Balkans and voiced certainty citizens of the Balkans will be able to travel freely in the region and the EU by the end of the year.
Parvanov spoke about the importance of collaboration between the Parliaments of the SEECP countries and backed the establishment of a working group to find ways to expand it and increase its effectiveness.
In Istanbul, Montenegro became the next rotational president of SEEC.
