At the invitation of the Head of the Serbian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Suzana Grubjesic, a delegation of the Bulgarian Parliament, headed by Vanja Cvetkova, visited Serbia.
The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, welcomed the visitors at Assembly House, and congratulated them on Bulgaria’s entry into the European Union, to take place on 1 January 2007.
Markovic thanked the Bulgarian parliamentarians on the assistance provided to Serbia on the international stage, adding that he hoped that the traditionally good relations between the two neighbours would continue to develop, and that both nations would soon share the same values stemming from EU membership.

Markovic emphasised that the National Assembly would do all in its power to improve both parliamentary and general relations between Serbia and Bulgaria, nations ‘responsible for the stability of the entire region.’
The head of the Bulgarian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Vanja Cvetkova, expressed support for Serbia’s efforts to solve its most difficult problems – primarily the issue of the status of Kosovo and Metohia – and added that the resolution of Kosovo’s status was a precondition for EU integration of Western Balkans countries and the stability and security of the region as a whole.
Ms Grubjesic said that Serbia valued Bulgaria’s support in the process of accession to the EU and Euro-Atlantic integrations, and underscored the importance of co-operation between the two countries within the framework of regional economic and anti-organised-crime initiatives. She especially stressed the importance of resuming direct negotiations on Kosovo and Metohia and the support Bulgaria was providing to this issue.

Gordana Comic, member of Serbia’s delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, also took part in the discussion. She pointed out the many political and economic interests common to both countries, as well as the many opportunities for co-operation. Care for improving living standards for ethnic minorities in the two countries was also one of the priorities, she added. Ms Comic cited the positive example of co-operation initiated in the Sofia-Nis-Skopje Euroregion, which will contribute to an expansion of economic, cultural and other forms of co-operation.
The participants in the meeting agreed that a continuation of Kosovo negotiations, and the adoption of a peaceful and democratic solution, is of importance for the stability and security of the entire region – a also view supported by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.