NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT GERDJIKOV MET WITH THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, MR. PAVOL HRUSOVSKY

Today, 8 November 2004, National Assembly President Prof. Ognian Gerdjikov met with the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Pavol Hrusovsky, who is paying an official visit to Bulgaria from 7 to 9 November.

Slovakia’s support for Bulgaria’s EU membership and the prospects for more active cooperation between the two friendly countries were among the subjects under discussion.

Prof. Gerdjikov thanked his counterpart for Slovakia’s consistent support for Bulgaria on its road to EU membership. “We will rely on your support in December 2004 as well, when we hope the European Council to announce the completion of the EU accession negotiations with Bulgaria and to set a date for signing an Accession Treaty in the early spring of 2005,” Prof. Gerdjikov said.

The Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic said that his country would like to see Bulgaria as a full EU member as soon as possible. He assured Gerdjikov that Slovakia would continue to assist Bulgaria in its integration process. “We are ready to ratify the Accession Treaty in the shortest possible time,” Hrusovsky stated.

Slovakia will do everything within its powers for the trial against the Bulgarian medics in Libya to end with a just solution and developments to not reach the point of execution of the death sentences, it emerged at the meeting.

The two exchanged views on further EU enlargement and the possible Turkey’s accession to the EU.