ArmenPress
March 1 2005
BULGARIA’S RECORD OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION EXPERIENCE USEFUL FOR
ARMENIA, AMBASSADOR SAYS
YEREVAN , MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS: In an exclusive interview with
Armenpress Bulgaria’s ambassador to Armenia, Stefan Dimitrov, said
there are more and more indications that Armenia and Bulgaria are
determined to intensify diverse bilateral ties, which received a
strong impetus following Armenian president Robert Kocharian’s visit
to Bulgaria in 2003 September, preceded by Bulgaria’s president
Georgy Pirvanov’s visit to Armenia in 2002. The ambassador said the
visits have put the Armenian-Bulgarian dialogue on the highest level.
He said the bilateral ties received another boost when Armenian
parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian visited Bulgaria last year,
which “showed that the parliamentary diplomacy occupies its specific
place in the modern world.”
The ambassador also stressed the four meetings between Armenian
and Bulgarian foreign ministers last year alone, both in Bulgaria and
Armeniaá which he said would promote further strengthening of ties
between the two countries’ foreign ministries.
Mr. Dimitrov also spoke about invigorating economic contacts
between Armenian and Bulgarian businessmen, which is taking place
concurrently with stepped up political contacts. He, particularly,
mentioned a 2004 business forum. He said the trade between the two
countries increased threefold in 2003 against the previous year, “an
evidence that bilateral high level meetings yield concrete and
tangible results.” According to ambassador’s calculation, trade
between the two countries increased 25-30 percent in 2004 against
2003.
According to Mr. Dimitrov, Bulgaria’s ten-year record of hard job
to meet EU membership criteria may be of great importance for
Armenia, which also wants to join it. “Being geographically part of
Europe, we worked to make practical steps to adapt our legislation to
that of EU rather than to adapt our mentality,” he said, adding that
European integration is a priority for both Bulgaria and Armenia.
He said both countries are working in this direction, fixed by a
document signed by Armenian and Bulgarian foreign ministers.
“Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004, April 2 and by 2007 January 1, we are
supposed to become a full member of the EU,” he said, adding that
legal grounds for membership are already prepared and that on April
17 Bulgaria and EU will sign a relevant agreement.
–Boundary_(ID_I/y5/Ha71sRqN/Hw6z6CGw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress