News
12/9/2021 04:20
The annual meeting of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) kicked off in Berlin today, bringing together the continent's top decision-makers, eminent intellectuals, NGOs and the think- tank community to formulate a coordinated and effective European foreign policy as a response to modern challenges.
As a member of this influential community, Deputy Prime Minister Dimitrov used his participation to affirm the strategic importance of the EU enlargement process on the countries of the region in terms of the future of Europe.
Dimitrov: "If the European Union aspires to be a global power, then it must first become 'local', i.e. to exercise its influence in the Western Balkans, a region that in every sense is an integral part, not just geographically. It is in this region that the Union must make the greatest impact, given the strong link in terms of trade and financial assistance, but also the political promise for European perspective from Thessaloniki 2003. The region is not in a good condition, the European promise has been shaken and the EU should ask itself whether the ambition to make a difference on the global stage as a player is credible without primarily acting locally - in the region."
Deputy Prime Minister Dimitrov's intervention in the discussion by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen and analyst Ivan Krastev, drew attention to EU enlargement policy and transformation power in that regard.
Europe-China relations in the context of the future of global trade will also be discussed at this key event on the European political calendar later in the day, with Swedish Minister Ann Linde and EC Director Sabine Weyand among other participants.