Bulgarian leader backs EU prospects of Balkan states
In an interview with Sunday’s Kathimerini, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev expressed his support for the nations of the western Balkans joining the European Union, noting that this would boost regional security, as long as they fulfil the conditions for membership.
Radev, formerly chief of the Bulgarian Air Force who was appointed president in January, said his visit last week to Greece held symbolic importance.
As his first official visit to a country in the region, it was a “significant political message expressing a desire for relations between the two countries to continue to develop and deepen in all areas of mutual interest on the basis of the values that we share.”
Questioned about previous differences between the two countries, Radev indicated that it was important to look forward. “The past is a valuable teacher but whoever looks back too often runs the risk of tripping and falling,” he said.
