D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Within the framework of the Bulgarian President’s visit to Greece, I met a short while ago with my colleague, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mladenov. We had a very warm – and I mean that – warm and friendly discussion on a number of issues bearing on our bilateral relations. The most important is our shared will and decision to further deepen and strengthen the already excellent relations between our countries in all sectors.
In recent years, Greece and Bulgaria have established strong bonds of friendship and sincere cooperation, and this is now taking on even greater importance because the two countries are both members of the European family. Our will is to contribute, through our cooperation, to shaping an environment of stability, peace, friendship and cooperation in the wider region, so that the Balkans – which at one time were the bad example – can be transformed into an oasis of cooperation and security. Our initiatives will be in that direction, while on the purely bilateral level, all of the policies adopted – under the guidance of the Presidents of our Republics, as well, as those were set out this morning – will usher in a much better future for our two peoples. I welcome Mr. Mladenov again, and I wish him every success in his duties.
Ν. MLADENOV: I can begin by saying that I agree with everything you just said. I am very thankful for the warm hospitality which we received in Athens today, and this is our first meeting, but it is an important meeting, because we were tasked by our Presidents this morning to begin the planning of the next government, the government session between Bulgaria and Greece, which we discussed just now, and I hope that it will take place in the second half of the year. At that meeting, we have to strengthen our cooperation not just on bilateral issues that are important to both countries and to our joint work in the European Union, but also on how we cooperate more on issues related to the European perspective of our entire neighborhood here in Southeastern Europe, but also how we cooperate on issues related to the challenges that Europe as a whole faces today: The debates on the next financial framework, the debates on the EMU, the Monetary and Economic Union, to better coordinate our positions, and to be much more active as two members that are not just neighbors and long-term friends and strategic partners, but as representatives of an important region of Europe that should never be underestimated, and on which the focus should remain.
Thank you.
July 4, 2012