The forthcoming first Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and opportunities for improving connectivity of the Western Balkan states were the main topics at the meeting between Speaker of Parliament Tsveta Karayancheva and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva.
The 25th anniversary of Bulgaria’s membership in the World Bank Group is an occasion to seek opportunities for implementation of projects that will improve transport between the Western Balkan states, said Kristalina Georgieva. She emphasised that the World Bank was ready to invest in a project that would speed up the border crossing of heavy vehicles between countries in the region. This can be achieved through the introduction of a single toll system and electronic application for border crossing, explained the World Bank CEO.
Speaker of Parliament Tsveta Karayancheva emphasised that the EU prospect of the Western Balkan states was one of the priorities of the forthcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Until recently those countries have not been in the focus of attention of the EU, but with joint efforts we managed to include this topic in the European agenda, she said. In her words, there will be real results because we all think and work together for the development of the region.
For the first time the World Bank has established the position of CEO, said Kristalina Georgieva. The CEO is responsible for the functioning of the largest part of the Bank, manages 42 billion USD, and has 10,000 staff and offices in 139 countries worldwide, she explained.
