an hour agoBulgarian EU presidency seeks improved relations with Turkey
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)Bulgaria aims at improving Europe's relations with neighbouring Turkey during the EU presidency, without hiding problems, Foreign Affairs Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva confirmed today. “We think Turkey is an important partner of Europe on many issues like refugees, terrorism, economy, energy”, Zaharieva underlined at a news conference in Sofia [...]
“We think Turkey is an important partner of Europe on many issues like refugees, terrorism, economy, energy”, Zaharieva underlined at a news conference in Sofia on the official start of the Bulgarian presidency.
“We should improve relations with the Turks after hiding problems”, she stressed, citing the rule of law and judicial system.
It is good to discuss honestly the relations we should have with them, because it is NATO's second largest army”, the Bulgarian minister stressed.
For Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, the migraine agreement reached in March 2016 between Turkey and the EU, envisions reducing refugee flow, excellent work for Bulgaria and Europe.
Its “country shares 259km of land border with Turkey and houses a minority of 700 000 Turks, whose origins date back to the Ottoman Empire”, he stressed.
“What would happen if three million migrants to Turkey left for Europe?”, Borissov warned the press.
Ankara has been insisting on the EU gate for decades and has expressed fatigue in waiting, but relations have been significantly decried, especially since the failed coup in July 2016 in Turkey.
