Bulgaria is calling on Belgrade and Pristina, in the wake of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion that found nothing wrong in international law with Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, to begin a dialogue to address specific problems related to the daily lives of their citizens, Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said in Sofia on July 24 2010.

Bulgaria, which was among the first countries to recognise Kosovo as independent, welcomes the international court's ruling, Mladenov said.

The court July 22 announcement "does not affect Bulgaria's decision to recognise Kosovo's independence, on the contrary - it is a good reason for more states to recognise the newly independent country," he said.

According to Mladenov, the court's opinion relates exclusively to Kosovo's specific situation after 1999 "and should not be considered to set an international legal precedent".
                       
Bulgaria called on Belgrade and Pristina to begin a dialogue that would address specific problems related to the daily lives of their citizens, he said.

"We have and will continue to develop good neighbourly relations both with Serbia as well as with Kosovo, and will continue to promote their European perspective. Bulgaria supports and will continue to contribute to the development of democratic state institutions that guarantee Kosovo's multi-ethnic character."
                       
Serbia and Kosovo, as well as the rest of the Western Balkans, had Bulgaria's full support for their European prospects.

Successfully achieving these prospects, however, depended on the achievements of each country in the region, Mladenov said.

"Bulgaria recently ratified Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which is an important step on the European path of our neighbour," he said. 
                       
"Bulgaria understands the emotions that the Opinion has evoked in Serbia," Mladenov said.

"We believe however that emotions should gradually be overcome and that both countries should quickly make up for the missed time and opportunities to attain their strategic objective - membership in the European Union. We expect that Belgrade and Pristina will, through dialogue and in the interests of peace, stability and co-operation in the region, bring their bilateral relations in line with the principles and values on which the EU was founded."