European foreign policy will succeed if there is an open discussion about how to encourage economic growth on the continent
09 March 2012 News
“At a time in which any discussion of foreign policy turns into a discussion of the financial crisis, it is important to show how foreign policy helps the economy recover,” Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said before the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) in Copenhagen.
The EU should have an open discussion on how member states will promote economic growth. Foreign policy must help our farmers to reach new markets, because this creates new jobs, he said.
“The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will engage more actively with economic issues in national and European debate,” Minister Mladenov said.
In his remarks, he drew attention to two other issues - the EU's policy on the Western Balkans, and support for democratization in the Arab world.
For Bulgaria, it is important to have an open and objective discussion about the European future of the Western Balkans, Minister Mladenov said.
This means identifying and removing any obstacles in the path of the European integration of the region, so that we can receive our neighbours into the European family.
On the Arab Spring, Minister Mladenov said that we should be more active in our support for democratization in the region, including through the establishment of the European Fund for Democracy.