Modern diplomacy should help Bulgaria to emerge from crisis
26 March 2012 News
Bulgarian diplomacy must participate actively and constructively in global foreign policy, Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov told more than 60 heads of Bulgarian diplomatic missions abroad. The purpose of the Ambassadorial Conference is to outline the main priorities of Bulgaria’s foreign policy in the context of changes in the world.
Minister Mladenov said that the “priority of priorities” was for foreign policy to make a major contribution to leading Bulgaria out of the crisis. He said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to find new models to apply to assist Bulgarian business - to attract investments, to identify niche markets for Bulgarian goods and to promote Bulgaria and Bulgarian brands.
Bulgarian diplomacy has to achieve a new level of quality, including within the European Union, in active and effective partnership with other EU Member States and with the External Action Service. "For Bulgaria, it is essential that the EU's voice is heard more clearly in the world, which for us means enhanced and more active partnerships with member countries. In this regard, inclusion of our diplomacy in the work of the European diplomatic service is key,” Minister Mladenov said.
To achieve the full integration of the Balkans into the EU, it is vital for Bulgaria to conduct a policy that is systematic and purposeful, Minister Mladenov said. He said that Bulgaria needs to participate pragmatically in the European integration of the Balkans, which is the best protection of Bulgaria’s national interests. He announced that the Foreign Ministry intends to propose the preparation of an annual report on Bulgarian communities worldwide, to be debated and adopted by the National Assembly.
Minister Mladenov described as increasingly important the global processes of transformation and democratisation in the Middle East and North Africa, saying that Bulgaria could have a unique role in these. “To the people in the Middle East and North Africa, we are on the right side,” he said. Minister Mladenov said that for the best result to be achieved, there should be a more active and constructive approach, and sensitivity and understanding about what the people of these countries want for their future.
He spoke about the new structure of the MFA, which aims to ensure the achievement of expert solutions at a high level of professionalism, independent of changes in political leadership. "We need to approach constructively the need for change and to organise our work on the model of our partners in the EU and NATO,” Minister Mladenov said.
Among other priorities key to Bulgaria’s foreign policy, Mladenov highlighted making more use of all the resources and effectiveness of the European Neighbourhood Policy to achieve concrete results and to create projects of benefit to Bulgaria, as well as Bulgaria’s relationships within Euro-Atlantic structures and the country’s expectations regarding the NATO summit in Chicago in May.