Free Membership
Newsletter
Help
Subscribe
Sign In
Search
March 20, 2023
All times are Vienna time
Search
Subscribe
Sign In
Countries:
Africa »
Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Côte d'Ivoire Ethiopia Ghana Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Mali Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda South Africa Sudan Tanzania The Congo Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific »
Afghanistan Australia Bangladesh Cambodia China Hong Kong SAR India Indonesia Japan Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal New Zealand North Korea (DPRK) Pakistan Philippines Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe »
Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Rep. Estonia Georgia Hungary Kosovo Latvia Lithuania North Macedonia Montenegro Poland Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine Western Balkans
Middle East »
Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Palestinian Territories Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen
Russia & CIS »
Russia Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Moldova Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
The Americas »
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Canada Central America Chile Colombia Cuba Ecuador Mexico Panama Paraguay Peru The Caribbean Uruguay Venezuela
United States
Western Europe »
Belgium Cyprus Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Monaco Norway Portugal Scotland Spain Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands United Kingdom Vatican City
Business:
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Politics:
Domestic
Brussels
International
Diplomacy
Companies:
Professional Services »
Banks Financial Services Real Estate Insurance Other Services
Energy »
Oil & Gas Utilities Renewables Mining
Industrials »
Construction Automotive Industrial Goods Basic Resources Chemicals Other Industrials
Transport »
Airlines & Airports Shipping Rail Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Organizations:
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
People:
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Lifestyle & Travel:
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
More+:
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Home
Countries
Business
Politics
Diplomacy
Companies
Organizations
People
Lifestyle & Travel
More+
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burundi
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Mali
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
The Congo
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
North Korea (DPRK)
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Rep.
Estonia
Georgia
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
North Macedonia
Montenegro
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Western Balkans
Middle East
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian Territories
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Russia & CIS
Russia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
The Americas
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Central America
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
The Caribbean
Uruguay
Venezuela
United States
Western Europe
Belgium
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Domestic
Brussels
International
Professional Services
Banks
Financial Services
Real Estate
Insurance
Other Services
Energy
Oil & Gas
Utilities
Renewables
Mining
Industrials
Construction
Automotive
Industrial Goods
Basic Resources
Chemicals
Other Industrials
Transport
Airlines & Airports
Shipping
Rail
Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Latest News
Ukrainian War
Covid in Austria
USA in Vienna
UK in Vienna
Russia in Vienna
China in Vienna
Iran in Vienna
UN
OSCE
IAEA
OPEC
Sponsored Content
Tweet
Share

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg Visits Bulgaria and North Macedonia

People › Diplomats ♦ Published: May 10, 2022; 20:58 ♦ (Vindobona)
Sponsored Content

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg travels to Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia to promote EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. Especially against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, stable and European-oriented Balkans are important.

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg supports the Euro integration of the Balkan countries. / Picture: © Bundeskanzleramt (BKA) / Dragan Tatic

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg is pushing ahead with his agenda with the planned enlargement of the European Union to include the Western Balkan states.

Especially in view of the Ukraine war and Ukraine's increased EU ambitions, it is important to remember the states of former Yugoslavia, which are waiting for nearly 25 years for their EU integration.

The EU member Bulgaria is blocking the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia, therefor Foreign Minister Schallenberg traveled on Europe Day to Bulgaria and met with representatives of the Bulgarian government in Sofia.

Sponsored Content

In addition to discussions with Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Assen Vassilev, the agenda also included a working meeting with President Rumen Radev.

In addition to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the talks focused primarily on the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans.

The importance of stability for Europe is also demonstrated by the severe impact of Russia's war of aggression far beyond Ukraine's borders. Not only are supply chains disrupted, for example, but Europe's entire energy security is at risk. As recently as April, Russia halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland.

"The Russian attempt to weaken energy security in Europe by stopping gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland is absolutely unacceptable. In the medium term, as this Russian step shows us, there is no way around transforming our supply chains in the energy sector and massively increasing investments in renewable energies", said Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

"We must not lose the Western Balkans. We have to step on the gas now. Bulgaria will benefit massively when it is surrounded almost exclusively by EU states", emphasized Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

Just as Austria had already fully supported Bulgaria's EU accession in the mid-2000s, Austria has also always been a strong supporter of the EU enlargement of the Western Balkan states.

In particular, the early start of accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia must be a priority, was stressed by Schallenberg.

In Sofia, Schallenberg did show understanding of the "sensitive points" between neighbors Bulgaria and northern Macedonia. But he appealed for Bulgaria to lift its veto and for the problems to be clarified during the accession negotiations.

Bulgaria is blocking the accession negotiations for various reasons regarding cultural politics, such as the Macedonian language policy. Bulgaria claims the Macedonian language and culture for itself.

The visit to Bulgaria not only demonstrated the close friendship between Bulgaria and Austria, among others seat neighbors in the European Council, but also the economic ties between the two countries. Around 350 Austrian companies now secure 20,000 jobs in Bulgaria.

Sponsored Content

Following his visit to Bulgaria, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg traveled to Skopje on May 10, 2022, where he met his Macedonian counterpart Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani as well as President Stevo Pendarovski and Prime Minister Dimitar for working talks.

In addition to the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, the economic relations between North Macedonia and Austria, the main focus was on the EU enlargement in the Western Balkans.

Austria has always supported the accession of Northern Macedonia to the EU, but this has been delayed for decades by blockades by neighboring states.

It was not until 2018 that a dispute with Greece over the state name Macedonia was settled, the arbitration of which in 2020 led to the approval of the Union's heads of state and government for the start of EU accession talks with northern Macedonia. Since then, EU member Bulgaria, among others, has opposed the start of accession negotiations with northern Macedonia.

"Never before in history has it been so important to strengthen the credibility of the EU accession perspective for the countries of the Western Balkans. A special priority is to finally start the long overdue accession negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania, without further delay!" said Foreign Minister Schallenberg with determination.

BMEIA Federal Ministry for Europe Integration and Foreign Affairs

Copyright © Vindobona. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from Vindobona and redistribute by email or post to the web.
Sponsored Content
Fast News Search
Related News
Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg Travels to the Middle East (April 26, 2022)
Meeting of the C5 in Prague - Central European Countries Discuss Czech Republic's Upcoming Council Presidency (April 13, 2022)
State Visit of the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins to Austria (April 6, 2022)
Read More
Teodora Genchovska, Ruman Radev, North Macedonia, EU European Union, Bulgaria, Balkans, BMEIA Federal Ministry for Europe Integration and Foreign Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, Assen Vassilev
Featured
See latest Vindobona Newsletter
Sign up now for full site access and to read a limited amount of free premium articles per month:
Sign Up
×
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
©1995-2023 Vindobona
Contact
Help
Imprint
Press
Careers
Partners
Terms & Conditions
Site Security
Privacy
Sitemap
Advertise
About Us