Tivat, Montenegro, (BTA) – Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has called against compromising the principle that integrating new countries into the EU should be based on merit. “One option is to compromise on the fundamental membership criteria, but that would subsequently import problems. We propose the other approach – membership based on genuine merit and contribution,” Radev told journalists in Tivat, Montenegro on Friday, ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit due in the Adriatic resort later in the day.
Radev said Bulgaria can provide significant assistance, as it has accumulated considerable experience. “We can support the institutions of these countries so that they can advance more quickly along their European path, but the process must be sustainable and irreversible,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that EU enlargement requires profound reforms in the areas of justice, the rule of law, human rights and the development of good-neighbourly relations.
“Our position is that we should not import inherited political and historical problems into the European Union, and we will continue to uphold that position,” he stressed. Radev said that Bulgaria welcomes the progress made by the hosts from Montenegro and highly appreciates the efforts Albania is making to advance towards membership.
“We also wish the other countries to make the same efforts in order to achieve similar results,” the Prime Minister added. He emphasized that Bulgaria has always been a key driving force behind the process of enlargement and integration of the Western Balkans.
“We believe this is an investment in our security and contributes to the expansion of the common European area of stability and prosperity,” he said. “We cannot afford to compromise the Copenhagen membership criteria because of the complex geopolitical situation. If we suppress these problems now through some artificial means and in a rush, they will re-emerge years later within the European family. We will not allow that,” he added.
The theme of the EU-Western Balkans Summit is “Shared Prosperity and Stability of the European Union and the Western Balkans”. It brings together leaders of the EU and the Western Balkan countries. The meeting is chaired by Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and hosted by Jakov Milatovic, President of Montenegro.
