Bulgaria has to continue being a guarantee for the stability in the Balkan region and for developing strategic partnerships, Disaster Management Minister Emel Etem said while opening the fifth forum South-Eastern Europe Security Challenges Facing European Perspectives of the Region.

The forum is held in Sofia on September 11 and 12 2007 under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov.

In a welcoming message Purvanov said that the ‘Europeanization’ of the Balkans was “perceptible and could not be contested.” Co-operation prevails over rivalry, he said as quoted by Bulgarian National Radio.

According to the Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin, the international community should be involved in a successful resolution of the Kosovo problem. Both Serbia and Kosovo should make use of the chances for negotiations they have. Postponing would not lead to automatic resolution of the problem, he said.

However, relating Kosovo's status to Serbia’s European future was a mistake, Kalfin said.

Kalfin also commented the anti-Bulgarian campaign which arose in some Macedonian media and social groups recently. Such a campaign did not help relations and co-operation between the countries, he said.