Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova took part in the High-Level Dialogue in the framework of the 70th session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe
19 April 2023 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova took part in the High-Level Dialogue in the framework of the 70th Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), held in Geneva on 18—19 April 2023. The Forum is held every two years and is the highest body of this UN regional commission. The main theme of the High-Level Dialogue and the session itself was digital and green transformations for sustainable development in the UNECE region. Highlighting Deputy Minister Petrova's speech was the message that sustainable development is unattainable without a just and lasting peace. She called on Russia to stop the war against Ukraine, which would allow the efforts and resources of the international community to focus on addressing global challenges. The head of the Bulgarian delegation also highlighted Bulgaria's national plans and priorities in the field of digital and green transition — transformations that are not only necessary, but inevitable. She stressed that more than 80% of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria is dedicated to digitalization and green transition. In doing so, she pointed to the need for a holistic approach, noting the challenge of ensuring a just transition socially and economically. She expressed concern given the risks of new inequalities emerging as a result of these transformations.
In the margins of the session, Deputy Minister Velislava Petrova held a number of bilateral meetings — with the newly elected Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Mr João Gomes Cravinho, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of Croatia, Mr Zdenko Lucić
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