Round Table Conference on the European Union, West Balkans, Bulgaria

The Center for Balkan Studies at UNWE jointly with the Bulgarian Association for International Relations and Bulgarian Diplomatic Association organized Round Table Conference on the European Union, West Balkans, Bulgaria (an attempt for generating an active and effective Bulgarian foreign policy). In the Forum took part Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev, Rector of UNWE, Lilyana Pavlova, Minister of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2018, Kristian Vigenin, Chairman of the European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds Committee at 44^th National Assembly, Prof. Dr. Dinko Dinkov, Director of the UNWE Center for Balkan Studies, Mladen Chervenyakov, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to Montenegro, Ambassador Chavdar Minchev, CEO of the National Association for International Relations, moderator of the Forum, Ambassador Georgy Dimitrov, member of the Central Leadership of the Union of Thracian Associations in Bulgaria, diplomats, lecturers, journalists and students. 

Kristian Vigenin, Chavdar Minchev, Lilyana Pavlova, Prof. Statty Stattev, Prof. Dinko Dinkov, Mladen Chervenyakov, Georgy Dimitrov (from the left to the right)

Almost a century ago – on 10 October 1920 at the opening of the Balkan Near East Institute which was the name of the Free University of Political and Economic Sciences at that time, the predecessor of UNWE, its founder and first Rector Prof. Stephan Bobchev determined as “an important specifics” of the new university the establishment of “academic relation and mutual acquaintance and study of the Balkan countries”, pointed out in his Greeting speech the Rector Prof. Stattev. He outlined that the “important specifics” is developed and enriched by the UNWE for already 100 years.

In the Large Conference Hall

I accepted the invitation by the Center for Balkan Studies to participate in the Round Table Conference with contentment because I was involved in its establishment led by the conviction that it is in the spirit of our university traditions of being a leading Center in studying the Balkan problematics and in preparing professionals for the demands of the state, business and public organizations related to the development of processes in Southeastern Europe, pointed out Prof. Stattev. He expressed his contentment with the fact that for the topic of the Round Table Conference had been pointed out such a significant and actual issue in the context of the search for perspectives to the European Union and strivings of people from the West Balkans to join it.

Prof. Stattev (on the left) and Prof. Dinkov

Assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU Bulgaria will have a significant role in the search for solutions of the tasks, declared the Rector. Prof. Stattev outlined that the topic of discussion had been in harmony with the announced priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency and the UNWE would be in line with the level required by the times. 

Participants in the Round Table Conference

It is my university and I am proud I have graduated from it, said Lilyana Pavlova, alumnus of UNWE. She assessed the Forum as especially actual outlining the importance of what would be done in 2018, in the last active year of the current European Parliament before the elections in May 2019. Pavlova motivated the government decision to focus the EU attention on the topic for the West Balkans. We want the Bulgarian Presidency to be Balkan Presidency because no one knows the Balkans as well as we do and we can assist the development and integration of the region, pointed out the Minister. 

Minister Pavlova and the Rector Prof. Stattev

Lilyana Pavlova graded the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency examining the European perspective, security, stability and migration problems as well as the good connectivity in the frameworks of Europe. She pointed out that in the following EU budget there would be a “huge minus” because of Brexit. So the future finance framework concerning also the West Balkans would be one of the priorities of the Presidency including the cohesion policy, economic policy, defence alliance and others requiring large finance resource. It will be important for us to stand out the opportunity to be continued the cohesion policy and to find the right place for the funds for security and migration, declared the Minister. 

During the debates

In his statement Kristian Vigenin, graduate of UNWE, examined the opportunities of Bulgaria to formulate more active policy for the West Balkans. In the previous years it was easier to be consumers not generators of European policy, pointed out Vigenin. Let`s see the global picture and locate in it our interest and vision. According to his words it is necessary to stimulate the government to analyze more details about the improvement of coordination, effectiveness of relations, large energy and transport projects, economic relations and cultural relations development. Vigenin spoke about the presence of Bulgaria in the region, understanding of the European priorities in the light of the West Balkans, encouragement of cross-border projects, etc. The challenge to our country will be Bulgaria itself to move more efficiently and quickly to the EU center, pointed out Vigenin. 

Kristian Vigenin (on the left)

Mladen Chervenyakov used the metaphor for the three matrixes to outline the necessity of vertical and horizontal changes in the EU, determination of the basic principles of solidarity and justice in the community, increasing inequity and deficit of democracy. The major challenge to the Balkans is to overcome the historical burden, economic backwardness, inequalities of countries in the region, winding path of the process of joining to EU, pointed out Chervenyakov. 

Prof. Dinko Dinkov and Mladen Chervenyakov (on the right)

Prof. Dinko Dinkov paid attention on some main issues related to the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. He pointed out that the EU had been in deep crisis and the mechanism of decision making had been completely paralyzed. He examined the necessity of serious preparation of the Bulgarian Ministers for the Presidency for which the UNWE would have the greatest capacity for assistance. The Balkan people still live in different historical times in comparison to other parts of Europe, pointed out Prof. Dinkov and outlined the Balkan nationalism as the greatest problem.