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Bulgaria, host of the political elite of Southern-Eastern Europe
Heads of state and ministers of foreign affairs in Southern-Eastern Europe will come together in Sofia between 31 May and 1 June 2016 when they celebrate the end of the one-year mandate of Bulgaria as the chairman of the Southern-Eastern Europe Cooperation Process (1 July 2015 – 30 June 2016) under the motto ‘SEECP – the key to regional cooperation for 20 years’.The process was initiated by Bulgaria in 1966.
The philosophy of the Bulgarian presidency is made up of a vision of long-term and the idea according to which stability, peace and development in the region are possible only by the solid and irreversible strengthening of democracy. They are reasons for which it is necessary to support the reform programme, adopted with a view to integrating in Europe of all the countries in Western Balkans. The states in the region must think and act together, taking into consideration the fact that solving the present challenges mean coordination and joint decisions, says the press release sent to the agencyACTMedia by the Bulgarian Embassy to Bucharest.
The choice of the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency ( migration and refugees, press liberty and thought freedom, infrastructural transport development and energy interconnectivity) are a concrete expression of the purpose to send the European agenda to the Western Balkans and SEECP as a whole.
Special attention during the mandate was offered to migration and the refugees waves, which needs an active cooperation and joint actions. To this end, in the informal reunion of the ministers of foreign affairs of February this year, in Sofia, at the initiative of the ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, was adopted a Joint Declaration for the management of the challenges of refugees waves.
Competition and diversification are among the factors which will lead to the reduction of price of energy resources, satisfying the interest of the end-user. Infrastructure, on the other hand, is a key element for economic development and the interconnection of the inhabitants of the region. For the favourable development of it, it is necessary to have pragmatism, collective will and joint actions on the partof all member states.
On 31 May 2016 there will be a reunion of the ministers of foreign affairs, when there will discussed present challenges connected to the stability of Southern-Eastern Europe. The host of the reunion will be the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov and among the participants to the forum there are the following ministers of foreign affairs of the countries in the region: Nikos Kotzias, Miro Kova?, Igor Crnadak, Laz?r Com?nescu ?i Nikola Poposki.
At the reunion of the heads of state and government which will take place on 1 June 2016 in Sofia, Croatia will take over the presidency of Bulgaria, this being an active participant in the threesome format.
They confirmed their presence heads of state – Bujar Nishani, Nicolae Timofti, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, Bakir Izetbegovic, Filip Vujanovic, Hashim Thaci and Gheorghe Ivanov, Dacian Ciolos –prime minister and viceprimeministers Carl Eriavts and Tugrul Turkes.
Among those who confirmed their participation is Lamberto Zannier, general secretary of OSCE,Goran Svilanovic general secretary of the Council of Regional cooperation, as well as representatives of European institutions.
Within the summit will be adopted a Joint Statement which reflects the achievements of the process of cooperation in southern-Eastern Europe for a duration of the two decades since its setting up.A special importance is offered to the joint actions for the future development of the region.