Bulgarian ex-president: EU sets tough conditions for accepting Western Balkan countries

By Trend

The countries of the Western Balkans should become a part of the European Union, but the EU put forward tougher conditions before them in this regard compared to other states, Petar Stoyanov, ex-president of Bulgaria, said during the panel session on topic “Assessing Western Balkans: The Way Forward” as part of the VIII Global Baku Forum under the motto "The World after COVID-19”, Trend reports.

Stoyanov also noted that the EU has recently faced a number of difficulties, including economic crises, the coronavirus pandemic, and others.

"This complicates the integration of a number of countries, including the Western Balkan region, into the EU. However, a meeting was held in Slovenia between the leaders of the Western Balkans and the EU states. A number of promises were made to the Western Balkan countries," he added.

Organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center under the patronage of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the VIII Global Baku Forum under the motto "The World after COVID-19” kicked off on November 4 and will end on November 6.

The VIII Global Baku Forum brings together high-level representatives, including former heads of state and government, officials of international and non-governmental organizations from more than 40 countries, as well as other distinguished guests, to discuss issues of global importance.