The economic and social cohesion should remain a priority in the new mandate of the European Institutions. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a meeting with Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Minister of Immigration and Asylum of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In the Head of State’s words, an equal allocation of the investments in Europe is necessary not only for the development of transport and logistics, but also above all in the education and scientific infrastructure.

The funding of state-of-the-art scientific centers in support of quality education in the East European countries is a mandatory prerequisite for creating prospects for the career development of young people in their homelands, Rumen Radev emphasized.   In Jean Asselborn’s opinion, a reduction of the funding for the EU policies should not be allowed, since they should have at their disposal the necessary resources to achieve efficient results.

The two discussed topics related to Europe’s future and highlighted the necessity to preserve the fundamental EU values such as unity and solidarity. The challenges in the sphere of security and migration require that the EU should be able to make efficient and timely decisions, the Head of State said.

Jean Asselborn reiterated Luxembourg’s support for Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. Back in 2011 Bulgaria met the technical criteria and fulfills its commitments related to protecting the external EU borders, Rumen Radev said. The President also recalled the proposal he tabled in 2017 for drawing up a European action plan in case of a sudden increase of the migratory pressure at the external EU borders.

Both Rumen Radev and Jean Asselborn voiced their support for the European prospects of the Western Balkans. In the Head of State’s words, Bulgaria has adopted a clear stance in support of the Republic of North Macedonia’s European integration and expects that within the negotiations process an irreversible progress in establishing good-neighborly relations will be achieved. The Western Balkan countries’ EU membership serves the interest of Europe, Jean Asselborn said.

The constructive bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Luxembourg, based on the active cooperation within the EU, were also highlighted at the meeting. Bulgaria shows an interest in the strengthened cooperation in the banking and financial sector, particularly in the context of our country’s willingness to join the Euro zone. The stability and transparency of the banking sector are essential, the Head of State said. The President highlighted the good opportunities Bulgaria offers for strategic investments in the energy, infrastructure, transport, environment, IT and tourism spheres.