Deputy Minister Yuri Sterk opened the Third module of an advanced-level course on the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)
17 April 2018 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yuri Sterk opened the Third module of the 13th edition of the advanced-level course Johan Willem Beyen, on 16th of April in Sofia. The forum entitled The Common Foreign and Security Policy in Action was organised by the Diplomatic Institute of the MFA, G. S. Rakovski Military Academy, the Centre for the Improvement and Management of Disaster and Emergency Response, and the European Security and Defense College.
In his speech at the event, Deputy Minister Sterk outlined the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU as regards the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
‘Bulgaria took the helm of the Presidency at a time when unity and solidarity in our community are of the utmost importance for the future development of the EU. Understanding its responsibility and role as the rotating Presidency, our country has set as one of its aims finding common solutions to the need of Europeans for more security, stability, and solidarity,’ Sterk noted.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasised the importance of a key priority for Bulgaria: the Western Balkans and the support for the region’s European prospects. He stated that more resources needed to be allocated to overcoming common challenges like migration, energy security, terrorism and radicalisation, corruption and organised crime as well as to fostering civil society. ‘Developing relations of good neighbourliness and regional cooperation across the board is vital to guaranteeing the continued European prospects of the Western Balkans countries,’ Sterk highlighted further.
The Deputy Minister also noted the opportunity for building stable, prosperous, democratic European neighbour relations, which, too, is among the main priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency, and bears significance for the security and the economic potential of Europe globally.
‘Over the past two years, the sphere of EU security and defence has advanced more than it did over the course of decades,’ Yuri Sterk noted further in his speech. As examples of this, he cited the adoption of the EU’s Global Strategy in 2016, and the establishment of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which marked great strides towards greater integration and common commitments as regards security and defence. ‘Given the current challenges facing the East and the South, and also the Western Balkans, we need a well-functioning toolbox to ensure that we contribute efficiently to security and stability in our region, and beyond,’ the Deputy Minister stated. He emphasised the support for civilian missions within the CFSP (it being a sphere where the EU can develop its existing advantages) as one of the key instruments for reaching this aim.
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