10.11.2020
“I congratulate my colleagues from the Western Balkans who today signed the Declaration on the Green Agenda and thank them for taking a European pro-environment approach at this early stage.”
This is what Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said during the joint press conference with Germany’s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, within the Berlin Process Summit.
Earlier today at the Sofia Summit, the countries of the Western Balkans signed two declarations to which the Joint Chairmanship of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia had made a major contribution in support of the Western Balkan countries’ dedication to EU values and standards. “The EU member countries are firmly committed to a plan to reduce hazardous emissions by 2050,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister noted as he thanked the partners from the Western Balkans for acting in line with European policies at this early stage. “The Declaration on Common Regional Market is again our idea and our dream. Thus the population of the Western Balkans will earn far higher income and will be encouraged to stay in the region,” Prime Minister Borissov said.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov recalled the successful Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU with its strong emphasis on the Western Balkans. “We, all leaders acted in unity and paved the way to the perspective of the region as a whole,” he said. Mr. Borissov underlined the importance of the development of digital, road, railway and cultural infrastructure for the region and the provision of the funding required to improve the connectivity within the region.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov specially thanked Federal Chancellor Merkel for the confidence placed in Bulgaria to co-chair the Berlin Process.
Germany’s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel pointed out that it was for the first time that the Berlin Process was chaired by an EU member state and by a country that aspires to EU membership. “It is very good that you have shown how such events can take place in such difficult circumstances. My congratulations on the progress you have made towards the Common Regional Market,” Mrs. Merkel said. She stressed that in consequence of the coronavirus pandemic the economies are under pressure, however, the measures taken today will give a boost that will benefit the people and the region. “The Berlin Process has always been about reconciliation and elimination of tensions that built up in the past. Therefore it is in our interest that the initiative should continue,” Germany’s Federal Chancellor said as she encouraged understanding across the region.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev said that today’s Summit would conduce to stronger cooperation in the region. He stressed that in recent months the initiative had been conducive to visible and tangible results.
