Denmark hopes that EU accession negotiations with Bulgaria will conclude in 2004, but it depends on the European Commission regular report on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession, the Prime Minister of Denmark Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at his meeting with the President of the National Assembly Prof. Ognian Gerdjikov. The Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen expressed his confidence that the EC regular report on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession would not contain unpleasant surprises. He added that he was really impressed by the progress Bulgaria has already made in the preparations for EU membership.

The President of the National Assembly Prof. Ognian Gerdjikov thanked for the Danish support of Bulgaria’s foreign policy priorities. Gerdjikov underlined that Bulgaria attaches great importance on the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council, which set a target date for Bulgaria’s membership in the EU. Bulgaria has the ambitious goal to conclude the process of negotiations in 2004 and to become a EU member in 2007, he added. Gerdjikov mentioned the success achieved with the adoption at first reading of the amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria related to the judiciary reform.

In the course of conversation, National Assembly President and the Danish Premier voiced common hope for more direct investments in future intensifying trade and economic relations between the two countries. Environment and agriculture are among the fields in which Premier Rasmussen saw more opportunities to develop the bilateral relations.