Daniel Mitov: Successful regional cooperation is a fundamental element to an effective international cooperation
29 October 2015 News
"The Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office of the SEECP coincides with the 20th Anniversary of the Process and we are determined to contribute to it by enhancing regional cooperation. The goal is clear - to deliver substantive results for a better and more secure life of the citizens in the region," said Minister Daniel Mitov at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna. The Foreign Minister was invited to the event by the current Serbian OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, in his capacity as Chair of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) for the period July 2015 - June 2016. Guest of the event was the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council Goran Svilanović.
Minister Mitov presented the priorities and the program of the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office of the SEECP and focused on the role of the Process as a factor of security and stability in Southeast Europe. Addressing the Permanent Council, he emphasized that Bulgaria’s priorities correspond to the numerous subjects from the OSCE wide spectrum of activities.
“Successful regional cooperation is a fundamental element to an effective international cooperation,” said Daniel Mitov. According to him, the format is a proven tool for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and increasing its visibility would improve the attractiveness of the region for foreign investors. "The Bulgarian Chairmanship is committed to address the real challenges facing the countries of the region and our priorities are focused on issues in the field of connectivity, migration pressure and media freedom," he added.
In the following discussion, the speakers among the OSCE participating states, including Luxembourg, on behalf of the EU, US, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Turkey and Norway congratulated the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office on its priorities and wished success in their implementation.
It was announced that in honor of the SEECP Anniversary Bulgaria will initiate a commemorative declaration, focusing on the progress and identifying future challenges facing the region.