Bulgarian, Slovak presidents call for EU unity in dealing with terrorism, migration

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and his visiting Slovak counterpart Andrej Kiska here on Thursday said the European Union (EU) could only jointly cope with terrorism and migration.

Terrorist attacks and the wave of migration do affect the unity and stability of the EU, Plevneliev said at a joint press conference after bilateral talks.

European leaders have never been as concerned about the state of the EU, and the EU has never faced such a number of crises, he added.

The crises intertwine with each other and make the environment in Europe even more unpredictable, Plevneliev said.

"The solution is simple: unity. The only tool we have is unity. Together we are strong and can overcome every crisis," he stated.

Europe must be proactive, and to focus on removing the causes, he added.

Kiska echoed that the EU could cope with the migrant crisis thanks to its power, people and joint efforts.

The important thing is for the EU to remain together, united, and find common solutions, Kiska said.

Speaking about bilateral relations, Plevneliev said that Bulgaria and Slovakia had good traditions and major achievements in information technology, automotive, machine building, agriculture and food production, and wished to encourage mutual investments in these fast growing sectors.

Bilateral trade turnover is nearly 500 million euros (547 million U.S. dollars), and the potential is even greater, Plevneliev said.

The two sides signed four bilateral agreements in the fields of energy efficiency, education, science and culture.

Kiska, who is paying a two-day official visit to the Balkan country, will attend on Friday the opening ceremony of the first science and technology park in Bulgaria. Endit