On 24 February, 2000 the Center for the Study of
Democracy hosted a meeting with Ambassador Michael Sahlin, who
delivered a lecture on Sweden’s Support for the EU
Enlargement, attended by senior representatives of the
Privatization Agency, Sofia Municipality, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, the Open Society Foundation,
the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company, the World Bank Mission,
the Ministry of Finance, and experts of policy institutions.
Ambassador Michael Sahlin
during the Lecture at the Center for the Study of
Democracy
Ambassador Sahlin stated Sweden’s support for
Bulgaria to access the European Union. He further outlined the
priority issues of the process of EU enlargement:
- how the process of enlargement could be combined in
the future with its deepening;
- the involvement of the Balkans and other East
European regions;
- finding a proper security and stability solution
while having in mind the considerable economic differentiation and
factors of increasing heterogeneity by adding 28 member-countries
more;
- the need of a comprehensive institutional reform
which is to be reviewed at the forthcoming Inter-Governmental
Conference;
- the risk of allowing different membership pattern
by categorizing the candidates in several groups;
- finding proper solution of future problems
including the public opinion originating of the enlargement;
- the Security Pact issues, etc.
Finally, he summarized Sweden’s position and future
active role towards the enormous task of Europe’s
globalization.
Participants expressed support to the ideas outlined
above and Ambassador Sahlin answered their questions regarding the
eventual shaping up of a new policy in EU in respect of the
differentiation; the priorities and forms for supporting Bulgaria;
the balance between the political will for extending negotiations
with other countries and the fulfillment of the Copenhagen
criteria; rendering support to the Ombudsman Institution in this
country, etc.
For more information: ї www.csd.bg
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