Young People from the State of Israel Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
17 April 2018 News
Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a group of 43 students from schools in the State of Israel. They are participants in a programme of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs entitled Young Ambassadors. As part of the initiative, school-leavers visit various countries, and gain hands-on experience about bilateral relations. The event was organised by the Embassy of the State of Israel in Sofia.
Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev and Todor Stoyanov acquainted the Israeli students with the main foci of the bilateral relations between the friendly countries, the challenges a junior diplomat faces along their career path, and the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Deputy Minister Georg Georgiev highlighted for the students that it was very important for young people to be active and to participate in their countries’ political life. ‘You are at the threshold of an interesting and challenging journey because commitment to one’s society comes with its share of responsibilities. This is the perfect time for you to start building your careers,’ Deputy Minister Georgiev stated. He emphasised that students, being young people who travel the world and represent their countries abroad, were already diplomats and ambassadors in a sense.
‘The profession of the diplomat is not the easiest one. It requires very serious and diligent work every day. If you follow your dreams without fail, they will come true sooner or later,’ Deputy Minister Todor Stoyanov pointed out to his guests from the State of Israel. On the cooperation between the two countries, he commented that political dialogue was of a very high quality. ‘Every year, around 200,000 Israeli nationals visit Bulgaria. This is a very positive indicator of our bilateral relations in the sphere of tourism,’ Deputy Minister Stoyanov said. The Deputy Minister highlighted the European prospects and the connectivity of the Western Balkans as one of the key priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency.
The students showed marked interest and readily joined the discussion with their hosts from the MFA. On a question on anti-Semitism, Deputy Minister Georgiev, who is also the National Coordinator for combatting the phenomenon, stood firm in his belief that we have to remain stronger than radical organisations, which are growing in number. He stated that our attention needs to be focused on not allowing such phenomena to become more pronounced and influence our societies.
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