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EU should maintain unity, integration: Bulgaria's Deputy PM

Xinhua, April 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

Bulgaria firmly holds the position that the European Union (EU) should maintain its unity and integration, the country's caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Deniza Slateva said here on Monday.

Some of the five scenarios for the future development of the EU that were recently proposed by the European Commission are unacceptable for Bulgaria, Slateva said at a roundtable discussion.

"We stand on the position that the EU should maintain its unity and integration; that regional cooperation and cohesion policy can not remain in the background at the expense of other policies," Slateva said.

Meanwhile, she said that Bulgaria, which joined the EU on Jan. 1, 2007, should begin debate on its contribution to the EU development.

"It seems that in recent years we have been increasingly speaking about the EU as a donor of European funds," said Slateva, who is responsible for the preparation of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018.

At different levels, including management level, there was no debate about the role of Bulgaria in the EU and the direction of the reforms, Slateva said.

Bulgaria should clarify for itself how it would contribute to overcoming the enormous growing distrust between EU citizens and EU institutions, she added. Endit