AUSTRIA CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR BULGARIA’S EU MEMBERSHIP
“The enlargement of the European Union, which will continue with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, is a situation beneficial to both parties. This has been proved by our experience from the last big enlargement”. The Federal President of the Republic of Austria Heinz Fischer stated the above late last night (8 June) during his meeting with the Council of Presidents of UNICE (Union of Industrial and Employer’s Confederations in Europe), which was also attended by the President of BIA Bojidar Danev.
The meeting was followed by a Gala-Dinner of the European business leaders with the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Wolfgang Shuessel, held in the presence of the Austrian ministers of economy and trade, and of finance. Mr. Shuessel has shared with his guests that the problems EU experiences during the enlargement are problems, which would have also come up without the enlargement due to the development of the society. “Therefore we should not attribute the normal evolution processes and the related problems to the EU enlargement only”, said the Federal Chancellor. He has reconfirmed the strong support of the Austrian Government for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU full membership and particularized that the negotiations with the Republic of Croatia are also under way. The opening of Chapter One of the negotiations with this country should commence prior to the transfer of the EU Presidency from Austria to Finland, communicated Mr. Shuessel.
At their regular meeting today, 9 June, in Vienna, the members of the UNCE Council of Presidents will discuss issues related to the main economic trends in Europe and worldwide including the development of the EU management policy.
The membership of UNICE Council of Presidents involves the leaders of the national business organizations of all EU member-states, Switzerland, Norway, Bulgaria and Romania. The Bulgarian Industrial Association is the only Bulgarian employer’s organization that is a member of this prestigious European business structure.
