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PRIME MINISTER BOYKO BORISSOV PARTICIPATED IN AN ONLINE MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

19.06.2020

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov participated in a meeting of the European Council, which is held by videoconference.

The main topic of the meeting of European leaders is the discussion of the Recovery Plan for Europe, which consists of the proposal for a new Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 (MFF) and the instrument "Next Generation EU", specifically created in response to the challenges in the fight against the coronavirus. "Our country supports the Recovery Plan, as the proposed approach is ambitious, exceptional and temporary. With it, the European Commission manages to combine in an innovative way the measures in response to the crisis and the advantages of borrowed capital with the capabilities of the EU budget. A balanced compromise has been proposed between grants and loans," said Prime Minister Borissov. The Bulgarian Prime Minister stated that the proposal of the European Commission reflects the need for faster recovery from the crisis, so that, on one hand, for the development of the EU at two speeds to be prevented, and on the other hand, for convergence to be accelerated.

Regarding the next MFF, the Bulgarian Prime Minister expressed optimism that European leaders will soon reach a compromise. "I believe that next month we will be able to reach an decision on a balanced agreement that provides funding for all policies, priorities, instruments and measures, including ones that address this latest challenge to the EU - the coronavirus. However, further efforts are needed on the EU's traditional priorities in terms of budget and implementing rules. "Paying special attention to the poorest regions in order to overcome the deep socio-economic problems in them is an inevitable condition for achieving long-term economic growth, employment, investment and convergence in the EU as a whole and beyond the current economic crisis," also said Borissov.

Prime Minister Borissov congratulated the Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU. "Bulgaria highly appreciates the constructive cooperation with the Croatian presidency, which has achieved a number of successes in this unprecedented situation. "We welcome the efforts made by Croatia, together with the European Commission and the European Council, to overcome the crisis, including their work on the Recovery Package," said Prime Minister Borissov. The Prime Minister noted that Croatia has maintained the momentum created during the Bulgarian Presidency on the European Initiative in the Western Balkans. Prime Minister Borissov congratulated Croatia on the successful work that led to the European Council's decision to open pre-accession talks with the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania.