BULGARIA: Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany meets his Bulgarian counterpart Sergey Stanishev in Sofia

Record ID: 784510

  • Title: BULGARIA: Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany meets his Bulgarian counterpart Sergey Stanishev in Sofia
  • Date: 28th August 2006
  • Summary: (CEEF) SOFIA, BULGARIA (AUGUST 25, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BULGARIAN SOLDIERS LINED UP WAITING FOR OFFICIAL CEREMONY FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, FERENC GYURCSANY VARIOUS OF BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER SERGEY STANISHEV AND GYURCSANY WALKING ON RED CARPET MILITARY ORCHESTRA PLAYING NATIONAL ANTHEM GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV LISTENING TO HUNGARIAN (NATIONAL) ANTHEM MEMBERS OF HUNGARIAN DELEGATION LISTENING TO ANTHEM MILITARY ORCHESTRA PLAYING BULGARIAN ANTHEM HUNGARIAN FLAGS SOLDIERS LINED UP GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV WALKING UP RED CARPET MARINES LINED UP SOLDIERS MARCHING IN FRONT OF PRIME MINISTERS GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV TALKING MILITARY ORCHESTRA PLAYING CONVOY OF OFFICIAL CARS DEPARTING EXTERIOR OF BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING BULGARIAN AND HUNGARIAN FLAGS ON GOVERNMENT BUILDING ENTRANCE GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV SHAKING HANDS IN FRONT OF FLAGS GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV AT NEWS CONFERENCE HUNGARIAN DELEGATION AT NEWS CONFERENCE GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV SIGNING DOCUMENTS GYURCSANY AND STANISHEV SHAKING HANDS AND EXCHANGING PROTOCOLS JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 12th September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bulgaria
  • Country: Bulgaria
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5LSB589DMCRNY6WK63ICN7EX0
  • Story Text: Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany arrived on an official visit to meet his Bulgarian counterpart Sergey Stanishev on Friday (August 25).
    During his day-long visit Gyurcsany voiced his support for the scheduled Bulgarian entry to the European Union. He also said that he expects the European Commission to come up with a positive report about Bulgaria later this year.
    But Gyurcsany emphasised the need for Eastern European countries not to depend on the European Union.
    "It will not be the European Union who will solve a country's affairs, but the citizens' institutions and the companies of that country," he said.
    "This is the way it is in the case of Hungary, and this will also be the case in Bulgaria. The membership of the European Union is a big opportunity, it opens the way, it opens the door and the window. It is up to us to step up to the door, and look out the window," he added.
    Hungary is due to decide whether Bulgarian and Romanian workers should get access to their job market, and Gyurcsany said that any uneasiness in allowing a free flow of workers was mostly connected to Romania. And the minority of one million Hungarians living in Romania complicate the matters.
    The debate of whether to allow Bulgarian and Romanian workers is ongoing in Hungary and the government will come up with a decision in December 2006.
    "I am sure that Bulgarians and the Bulgarian working force will not pose any threat to the Hungarian job market, bearing in mind the realities of today," Gyurcsany said.
    Gyurcsany also offered expert help from his country about utilizing EU funds and showed his friendly feelings about Bulgaria, noting that his wife has Bulgarian genes and her first language was Bulgarian.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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