Bulgaria's government is ready to work with Serbia's new government on Zoran Nikolov's proposals for the Bulgarian minority in Serbia. Prime minister Rumen Radev said this today after meeting Nikolov, who heads the Party of Bulgarians in Serbia, the government press office said.
Nikolov's ideas include a second border crossing, "Kalotina/Gradina 2", and a duty-free zone in Tsaribrod. Radev praised his initiatives of recent years and thanked him for the duty-free zone, which is meant to revive the local economy.
The new crossing should link the two countries better. The project is part of joint work by Bulgaria and Serbia on better transport links that join the European transport network.
The prime minister also praised Nikolov's work to improve life for Bulgarians in Serbia, to get Bulgarians treated at the Military Medical Academy (VMA) and to speed up Bulgarian citizenship. Radev said these ideas open up new options for the Bulgarian minority.
Nikolov, whom the press office describes as a man with proven authority among Bulgarians in Serbia, spoke about the situation in the border municipalities. He also spoke about the problems and hopes of Bulgarians there ahead of the elections for the National Councils of National Minorities in Serbia on 8 November.
The party leader also proposed new tourist routes in Tsaribrod and Bosilegrad, which tour operators from Bulgaria and Serbia would offer. The idea is that the routes would help the two peoples get to know each other better.