Mr. Mladenov (Bulgarian FM): Good morning to everyone. Thank you for being here today. I want in particular to thank my colleagues for responding to this invitation, which we have been discussing for some time now, because Bulgaria, as a member of the EU, like our neighbours and friends in Greece, have, perhaps, an historical duty to help the countries of the Western Balkans that are to accede to the European Union to start their accession negotiations; to help them prepare and move ahead.
Broadly speaking, European integration has three large areas of criteria.
First, there is compliance with the terms of European legislation, and on this, we – the countries that are already members – can be of assistance. That is why, in our declaration today, we state our preparedness to help Serbia with our experience and knowledge to fully meet the accession criteria.
Second, there is regional cooperation. This is what we are doing today with our neighbours, showing that cooperation in the Balkans is not only feasible, but also a fact.
Third, there are good neighbourly relations, which are of extreme importance for the resolution of all bilateral and multilateral issues.
That is why today, at the end of our talks today, we agreed to regular meetings at which we will look at all the issues important to our wider region. We hope that the next meeting will be hosted by our Greek friends, and the third meeting in Belgrade. Thus, we can continue this dialogue on all the issues that will help toward the full accession of the countries of the Western Balkans to the EU.
Mr. Droutsas: First of all, I want to congratulate Mr. Mladenov on the fact that he took this initiative and convened this meeting here today in Sofia, bringing together Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. I think our cooperation is based on a very firm foundation, which is nothing less that the longstanding, traditional and very good relations between our three countries, and, naturally, the current issue of our talks was the European perspective of the Western Balkans, and of Serbia in particular.
I think that Greece and Bulgaria, as partners in the EU and allies in NATO, share the vision of peace, stability and prosperity throughout the region and beyond. On this issue, I would like to agree with Nickolay’s observations regarding the European accession course and Serbia’s European aspirations, and to once again reiterate our full commitment to and full support for Serbia’s future in our European family.
I also had the chance to talk to my dear friends and colleagues about Greece’s role and what Greece in particular can do on this matter. We had the opportunity to renew our discussion of Greece’s Agenda 2014 for the Western Balkans. I think that through this Agenda we have succeeded in creating fresh momentum in the EU with regard to the European accession course of the Western Balkans. This was vital. I think we have achieved this.
Now there is a need, as a second step, to do something more so that we can give specific content to this Agenda 2014 initiative, and on this matter I had the chance to say that Greece will be holding the EU Presidency in 2014, and our goal is to hold – within the framework of our Presidency – an EU-Balkans Summit Meeting, as we did in 2003, when Greece last held the EU Presidency. The Thessaloniki Agenda was initiated at that time. So our goal is to convene another Summit Meeting that will be called “Thessaloniki II”, if you will, for the Western Balkans. And there we would like to have a specific date for the full accession of the countries of the Western Balkans. I think that the time will be ripe and right for us to decide on a specific date for accession. Naturally, a lot has to happen in the intervening time, but I think that with good cooperation – and I expect this cooperation to continue between the two countries – we can do much leading up to the accession process of the Western Balkans, which is a vision that we all share.
Mr. Jeremic (Serbian FM): Accession to the European Union is a strategic priority for Serbia, and I want to thank Greece and Bulgaria for their support for our country’s candidacy.
[TN: Mr. Jeremic’s statements are in reported speech because he spoke in Serbian, without an interpreter:
Mr. Jeremic expressed his particular satisfaction at the support given to Belgrade’s accession course by the trilateral meeting in Sofia today.
In his statement, he underscored the great importance of Greece’s initiative for accelerating the course of his country and of the Balkans as a whole towards the great European family.
He said that the 2003 Summit Meeting in Thessaloniki was a special springboard for the course of the Balkan countries towards the European Union, as will be the upcoming Summit Meeting, where another important step will be taken in the implementation of the 2014 agenda with the setting of specific dates for the full accession of Serbia and the other countries of the Western Balkans.]
Q&A
Ms. Marini (EU Insight)BU: As Mr. Droutsas said, 2014 is a possible date for pursuing a specific date for the accession of the countries of the Western Balkans. Did you specify such a date in your statement in Brussels: 2018?
For Mr. Jeremic: Do you believe that this is realistic? Could Serbia start accession negotiations following the completion of the questionnaire and the arrest of Mladic?
Mr. Droutsas: The date of Agenda 2014 was chosen for symbolic reasons. It is 100 years since the outbreak of WWI, and we thought it was good symbolism for us to say that it is time for the relaunching of this important effort towards enlargement in the Western Balkans.
You mentioned 2018, and I, too, have mentioned it in a previous speech. 2018 is 100 years after the end of WWI, so it is also very symbolic. So I think it is a good date and it could be a realistic one. And as far as I know, Bulgaria will be holding the EU Presidency for the first time in 2018. So, what could be a better portent than that?
Mr. Jeremic: 2011 is the year Serbia will start accession negotiations. I think that 2011 could be an important year for the Balkans, for maintaining the continuity of the enlargement process in the Balkans. We hope that this will be the year Croatia completes its negotiations and Serbia starts its own negotiations.
We will make every effort to ensure that this happens in 2011, and it is the year Serbia will put emphasis on regional cooperation. We will be holding the chairmanships of three major regional organizations. For that reason, these consultations between the three of us, here in Sofia, were really useful, and I think that the next meetings – which will be held in Greece and Belgrade – will help us to see how things are going and whether we are achieving what we see as our priority: completion of the European integration process.
We fully support Greece’s idea for a “Thessaloniki II” Summit in 2014, and we hope that by then, to a great extent, a date will have been determined. This will naturally depend on the dynamic and developments in the region, in Europe in general and in the world, but we will certainly do everything in our power to ensure that we meet the criteria throughout our accession course. 2011 and all the years up until the year of accession, which is a year that can be determined symbolically – as Dimitri said – but I will say that 2014 is a year when this date can be announced. Let’s not talk about specific dates before then.
Mr. Mladenov: I think that the symbolism of the years 2014 and 2018 is adequately clear to all of us. 2011 really is a key year, because this will be the year when we will see, I hope, all of the countries of the Western Balkans take at least one step further towards accession. We are waiting to see the Commission’s opinion on Serbia’s application to start accession negotiations. We are waiting to see Montenegro gain candidate country status. We are very anxious to see most of the citizens of the Western Balkans be able to travel without a visa – as of 1 January 2011 – to the EU, and we hope that we will soon have a roadmap so that all of the citizens of the Western Balkans can travel in the EU without a visa.
Our meeting today and our actions over the coming year will focus on raising support for enlargement within the EU.
Mr. Petrov (journalist): Do you think that Serbia diverged from European values with its semi-boycott of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony? While you just supported the country’s accession, stressing in the declaration that the countries pursuing accession to the EU must share the values of the EU.
I want to ask Mr. Jeremic for his comment on the article in the daily “Blic” stating that preparations are being made to replace him following the Nobel boycott.
Mr. Mladenov: Allow me to answer your question first. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Nobel Committee in Oslo after very careful consideration of the person it is being awarded to and the award process. It is clear to all of us that when a prize is awarded concerning human rights, this sometimes raises questions or is taken wrong by some countries, because the protection of human rights is a fundamental duty of ours that often meets with reactions in certain parts of the world. I don’t think that a big deal should be made of this incident, because a country, a people, holds the values of a society based on many, many actions and many, many criteria. I am certain that as the moment of Serbia’s accession to the EU approaches, and when all of the countries of the Western Balkans are members of the EU, then our questions will have dissipated, because we do not question that the citizens of Serbia, the Serbian people – like all the peoples of the Balkans – share the general humanitarian values that each of us defends.
Mr. Jeremic: What I would like to say first is that Serbia pays the greatest attention to, and holds in the highest priority, the protection of human rights and the maintaining of human rights within Serbian territory that is under the full control of the Serbian authorities. Consequently, we will continue to do whatever is in our power to ensure that we will maintain this. On every foreign policy issue, each country negotiates for the protection of its vital national interests, and this is something all countries do. We work closely with countries nearby and far away, as part of what we determine to be our vital national interests.
As I said earlier, human rights are a value through which we show our commitment, mainly through doing so in a region that was in the past very problematic – not long ago. Regarding rumors concerning domestic Serbian political developments, I don’t think it is right to discuss them abroad. There are a lot of rumors on a daily basis in our country, especially before important political events, and mainly those that are coming up.
Mr. Borisov (ANA-MNA): A question for Mr. Mladenov: Mr. Minister, in your interview with the Sofia Echo, you talked about Bulgarian-FYROM relations, stressing Sofia’s attempts to reduce tension in relations with Skopje and remove the obstacles to Skopje’s European perspective, to the benefit of FYROM and the stability of the Balkans and the EU. Are there any indications in this direction from Skopje? That is, will the Sofia-Skopje negotiations for the signing of a declaration of good neighbourly relations and cooperation be successful? You also expressed the hope that Skopje would answer constructively to Greece’s recent proposals for the resolution of the name issue.
A question for Mr. Droutsas: What are those new proposals from Athens, and is there a response from Skopje?
Mr. Mlandenov: I think that Bulgaria has excellent relations with all its neighbours, and it has shown in the most difficult moments in recent years that it can help all of its neighbours. As to whether this happened following the declaration of independence or during the sanctions on the Milosevic regime or at any other time, we were always and will continue to be constructive. As I said at the outset, I think that European integration has three criteria for every European country. First, there are reforms, harmonization of legislation. Second, regional cooperation. Third, good neighbourly relations. These are the three areas that need to be satisfied for them to be able to resolve all of the challenges that the region has inherited.
Regarding your question on the declaration of friendship, I have often said that friendship cannot be achieved through an agreement. The friendship between our citizens is a given. They travel, open businesses together, have fun, enjoy life and the potential the two countries offer.
Beyond that, what we need to look at is the strategic cooperation of our whole region, so that the whole region can move ahead.
Regarding the name issue, Bulgaria’s longstanding position is that it is a bilateral issue between our neighbours, but I believe that it is time to find a reasonable compromise that will allow the country to move ahead.
Mr. Droutsas: From the outset, Greece and the Greek government have expressed the political will to find a solution. We have expressed our commitment, we have undertaken initiatives, and I believe that good will and all of these sincere efforts from Greece in this direction have been acknowledged by everyone. And I can only express the hope that Skopje will join us on this constructive course.
We want to see Skopje accepted into the European family soon. That is what we are working towards. And we hope that Skopje knows and understands what has to be done for it to join the European family that we belong to.
December 12, 2010