The policy of EU enlargement is in the  common interest of both the countries aspiring for accession and those that are already members of the Union, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said here Tuesday. She was speaking at a discussion on the Croatian EU Council Presidency,
which began on January 1 this year, BTA reports. 

There are improvements that can be made in the accession negotiation framework, but it is also possible for the Council to decide to launch negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania while consultations are being held on the new framework. One does not preclude the other, Zaharieva said.

Reforms are vital, above all for the public in these countries.This does not mean, however, that the endorsement of the new negotiation framework should be used as a cause to put off the launch of accession negotiations with countries that both the European Commission and part of the Member States agree are ready to launch such, Zaharieva argued.

As part of the discussion, Croatian Ambassador to Bulgaria Jasna Ognjanovac presented the priorities on which her country will focus during its six-month rotational presidency.

The priorities of the Croatian EU Council Presidency are subordinate to its motto, "A Strong Europe in a World of Challenges", and are divided into four areas:  "A Europe that Develops",  "A Europe that Connects", "A Europe that Protects", and "An Influential Europe".

The discussion was organized by the Croatian Embassy in Sofia and PanEuropa Bulgaria with the cooperation of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria and the local chapter of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 

14 January 2020 / 22:09