Yuri Sterk Confers with EEAS Deputy Secretary General for Global Issues Christian Leffler
25 January 2018 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yuri Sterk conferred in Sofia today with the Deputy Secretary General for Global Issues of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Christian Leffler.
“The Presidency will be an honest broker and is committed to deliver a negotiating mandate reflecting the interests of EU Member States on the negotiations on renewal of EU partnerships with the African, Caribbean and Pacific States,” Deputy Minister Yuri Sterk said. The EU positions on the forthcoming negotiations in connection with the Cotonou Agreement, which expires in 2020, are expected to be formulated in the first half of 2018. “The negotiations must start in August 2018 at the latest, and the Bulgarian Presidency will aspire to create the necessary prerequisites for reaching consensus among Member States,” the Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed to Leffler.
The EU preparation for the forthcoming negotiations on the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, as well the Union’s contribution to the international efforts for the prevention of violence against women and girls in armed conflict and crises also figured on the agenda. “At yesterday’s exchange of views of the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs with the European Parliament Development Committee, the Minister paid particular attention to the need to seek a change and responsibility in the humanitarian system in order to reduce the risks to women and children at the early stages of crises, as well as to take appropriate action to help the victims of such violence,” Deputy Minister Sterk emphasised. He added that in this area the Bulgarian Presidency will focus on the prevention of gender-based violence and violence against children, who are the most vulnerable group, as well as on keeping the opportunities for children’s education in crisis situations.
The two also discussed the forthcoming opening of the debate on the next EU multiannual financial framework during the Bulgarian Presidency. Deputy Minister Sterk and Deputy Secretary General Leffler concurred on the understanding that the next multiannual financial framework should ensure sufficient funds for the attainment of the ambitious goals in the field of security, migration, development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Bulgaria prioritises the allocation of financing for the Cohesion Policy, and the post-Brexit underfunding of the EU budget is one of the challenges that the Union will have to deal with.