26 November 2008

National Assembly chairman Georgi Pirinski received on 26 November 2008 Dominique de Villepin, head of the Advisory board consulting the Bulgarian Prime Minister Stanishev. The guests were joined by the parliamentary chair of the Legal Affairs Committee, Yanaki Stoilov.

Mr. Villepin explained the goals of the advisory board at this beginning stage of its functioning. He said that the aim of the advisors was to collect all possible information, opinions, stands and suggestions coming from across the political spectrum and public figures on the most important economic, political, academic, cultural, social and other issues, regarding the relations between Bulgaria and the European Union.

He emphasized the importance of an active interaction between the Bulgarian institutions and the European Commission aimed to help the country get over the challenges and the Bulgarian citizens to profit in full from the benefits of the country’s membership in the EU.

After meeting chairman Pirinski, the members of the advisory Board conferred with MPs, parliamentary groups’ representatives and independent deputies from the 40th National assembly. The guests took particular interest in the views and assessments of the deputies regarding the priorities of Bulgaria.

Later on, in his statement for the media, Dominique de Villepin stressed that Bulgarian institutions bear the main responsibility to make it so that the country and Bulgarian citizens could profit from the European membership but admitted that the endeavor should also be shared by the European institutions.

He said that the essential task of the advisory board was to find the best mechanism to improve the understanding and cooperation between Bulgaria and the European Commission and the other EU member countries. He further expressed his firm belief that Bulgaria will surmount the historic difficulties faced at the moment.

He went on to say that the European funds should benefit the Bulgarian state, as well as the Bulgarian people.

He added that Bulgaria was working seriously and has undertaken many reforms and adopted many new laws but needed to work further to accomplish the necessary results.

Mr. Villepin underlined that Bulgaria was an essential factor for stability in the Balkans and praised the contributions of the Bulgarian institutions, the Bulgarian civil society and the efforts of all the political forces to integrate to the EU.