The Future of the EU to be discussed at the COSAC Chairpersons’ Meeting

The priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency and “The Future of the EU - Strength in Unity” are among the topics that will be discussed at the COSAC Chairpersons’ meeting in Sofia. The conference, part of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will begin on 22 January 2018 at 8:30 am at NDK (National Palace of Culture) Congress Centre, Sofia, Hall “3”.

The president of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, Ms Tsveta Karayancheva, will welcome the participants in the Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of the Parliaments of the European Union (Chairpersons’ COSAC). The Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds, Mr Kristian Vigenin i will also address the participants with introductory remarks.

Keynote speaker on the first session of the conference - “Priorities of the Bulgarian EU Presidency”, will be the Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU - Ms Lilyana Pavlova.

The Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Ms Iliana Iotova i; the Fist -Vice President of the European Commission, Mr Frans Timmermans i, as well as the Chair of the Committee on Regional Development of the European Parliament, Ms Iskra Mihaylova i will be keynote speakers in the second session “The future of the European Union - Strength in Unity”.

On the subject of the third session “The role of EU macro-regional strategies for sustainable development, stability and security” keynote speakers will be the Ambassador-at-Large for Baltic Sea Region of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and Chair of the National Coordinators group of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, Mr Raul Mälk; the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria and National Coordinator for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region [EUSDR], Ms Denitsa Nikolova and Ms Audrone Perkauskiene, Head of division Regional Cooperation and the OSCE in the European External Action Service.

After the meeting - at 13.45, the Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds Mr Kristian Vigenin will give a press conference to media representatives in Hall 6 of NDK.

The meeting will be broadcasted live on the Internet page of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Bulgarian presidency - https://parleu2018bg.bg/bg.

Photographers and operators who want to capture protocol footages in the first 15 minutes of the meeting will be allowed in the conference room between 7:15 am and 8:00 am. Journalists will be able to watch the meeting at the press center - Hall 4 of NDK.