Minister Svetlan Stoev presented Bulgaria's foreign policy priorities to the Diplomatic Corps
10 June 2021 News
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Svetlan Stoev presented Bulgaria's foreign policy priorities to the Diplomatic Corps and thanked the representatives of 83 countries and international organisations for their efforts and contribution to the deepening of cooperation with Bulgaria in all areas of mutual interest. "I would like to emphasise once again the motto of the caretaker government - integrity, transparency and continuity. For me, as a career diplomat, continuity has a key role in foreign policy,” said Minister Stoev during the meeting at the Boyana Residence.
In his speech, the Minister highlighted the two main priorities in his work as Minister of Foreign Affairs - the organisation of the elections abroad and the implementation of foreign policy goals, which remain unchanged. Among them, he pointed out the protection of the Bulgarian national interests and the promotion of peace, stability, security, human rights, democracy and prosperity on a regional and global scale.
The main priorities of Bulgaria in the foreign policy remain the accession to the Eurozone and the Schengen area, the accession of our country to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. A key foreign policy priority is the European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans. "Bulgaria is and will continue to be one of the strongest supporters of the enlargement process, as we have already demonstrated during the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and during our joint presidency with the Republic of Northern Macedonia of the Berlin Process in 2020," said Svetlan Stoev. He pointed out that the Bulgarian support for the countries of the Western Balkans is consistent and is based on key principles of following the criterion of the individual achievements of each candidate country and the fulfilment of the relevant criteria.
Minister Stoev confirmed the continuity in the policy regarding the European path of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, emphasising that in recent years Bulgaria has expressed concerns about the implementation of the bilateral Treaty of 2017. Bulgaria insists that its concerns should be taken into account in the Negotiating Framework for the Republic of Northern Macedonia, which sets the rules for the accession process.
Bulgaria will continue to be an active, reliable and predictable partner in the European Union and NATO, confirmed Svetlan Stoev. "We appreciate the coordination at EU level in response to the challenges posed by the coronavirus. The strength of the unity of the member states is also obvious in the face of the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said our Foreign Minister.
He reminded that Bulgaria is one of the seven member states that started issuing EU digital certificates on June 1, which will facilitate safe movement and contribute to the revival of economies, the tourist ecosystem and international mobility. According to Minister Stoev, the EU needs interoperability of the certificate at international level.
In connection with the forthcoming summit in Sofia within the Bulgarian Presidency of the Three Seas Initiative, Minister Stoev pointed out that the ambition of our country is to hold a successful and productive meeting and business forum with broad participation of state agencies, banks for development, companies from the region and private investors.
"We also expect high-level participation from the European Commission, the United States, the International Monetary Fund and other partners," said Svetlan Stoev, emphasiSing that tangible results in the implementation of strategic cross-border and regional projects under the Initiative are key for the region.
In its bilateral relations, Bulgaria seeks mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of economy, trade and investment, as well as in cultural exchange between nations. The desire to further stimulate cooperation with the countries of North and South America, based on shared values in key areas, was emphasised.
In its relations with Russia, "Bulgaria is guided by its national interests and international commitments and obligations arising from our membership in the EU and NATO," our Foreign Minister said. He said that bilateral cooperation could be improved on the basis of equal political dialogue, and for the EU-Russia relations Bulgaria considers the balanced application of the 5 guiding principles of the Union to Russia as extremely important. "The countries of the Eastern Partnership remain a key priority in Bulgarian foreign policy," Svetlan Stoev said. Bulgaria is among the most active supporters of the initiative.
Our Foreign Minister also highlighted Bulgaria's traditionally friendly relations with the countries of the Middle East and Africa, based on mutual respect, good bilateral cooperation and relations between individuals. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said diplomacy was the best way to achieve peace.
The Minister also highlighted the partnerships with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and the potential for the development of cooperation, both bilaterally and within the EU, as priority areas in our foreign policy.
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the Ambassador of Palestine, Dr. Ahmed Al Madbuh, thanked Minister Stoev that he and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are always open to discussing important issues with the foreign diplomatic representatives.
Our Foreign Minister stressed that the presence of so many foreign diplomats at the meeting demonstrates how important the ties between us are. Svetlan Stoev expressed hope that our current cooperation with Bulgaria's foreign partners will continue to deepen.