Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel: Bulgarian foreign policy and diplomacy should be the result of nationwide coordinated action

On 29 September 2023 at the Boyana Residence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel opened the Annual Conference "Bulgaria in a Multipolar World: challenges, Priorities, Solutions", which is held with the heads of the overseas representations of the Republic of Bulgaria. Over 150 ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary, permanent representatives in international organizations, consuls general of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as representatives of the executive power - ministers and deputy ministers, took part in the work of the forum. A video address was made by Josep Borel, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel and the audience. Prime Minister Acad. Nikolay Denkov and President Rumen Radev greeted the participants.

In her speech at the opening of the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel thanked President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov for their participation and support to the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian diplomats.

"Today, more than ever, I am convinced that Bulgarian foreign policy and diplomacy should be the result of nationwide coordinated actions, and I believe that by working together we will be able to make Bulgaria even more visible and significant on the international stage," Maria Gabriel said.

She outlined four leading themes in the country's foreign policy.  "It is important for Bulgaria to be an active member of the EU and NATO, setting direction and shaping decisions. In this context, our priorities are accession to Schengen and the Eurozone, membership in the OECD", Gabriel pointed out.

As a second topic the Deputy Prime Minister defined the country's strategic partnerships and highlighted those with the US and the UK. "In today's complex geopolitical environment and in line with Euro-Atlantic values, we still have a lot to achieve with strategic partners like the US and the UK", Gabriel said. She underlined the importance of the second session of the Bulgaria-US Strategic Dialogue and the constructive meeting with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

"While not losing sight of traditional partners, let us also be open to new partnerships that provide opportunities for the country. We will look for cooperation with countries like Japan and India, Latin American countries", Maria Gabriel added.

The protection of the rights of Bulgarian citizens and Bulgarian communities abroad was the third topic highlighted by the Deputy Prime Minister. She paid special attention to Bulgarian schools and their role.

"The fourth topic is new - cultural diplomacy. Together we can make Bulgaria have a cultural calendar, a brand Bulgaria, so that our country can become more recognizable.  We have a history, a rich cultural and historical heritage. Now it is important to give perspectives for development with cooperation and a new look at these topics", Maria Gabriel was adamant.

After outlining the leading themes, the Deputy Prime Minister identified specific challenges. "Among today's challenges, peace is high on the agenda. In recent years, we have witnessed numerous conflicts.  Regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, Bulgaria, as a member of the EU and NATO, has a clear position. We condemn the war and express our solidarity and support for Ukraine, we support democracy and the rule of law," Gabriel said. She reaffirmed that our country will continue to support Ukraine and paid special attention to President Zelensky's Peace Formula and the opportunities for involvement in the reconstruction of the country. Gabriel outlined two more challenges resulting from the war - the energy and food crisis.

The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed the importance of joint work with the neighbouring countries - the Western Balkans and the strategic importance of the Black Sea region.

Gabriel paid special attention to the Three Seas Initiative and the joint declaration between Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Croatia adopted on her initiative. It aims to strengthen cooperation, reinforce security in the region, improve regional connectivity and mobilise the necessary investments for important infrastructure projects. Regarding the Republic of North Macedonia, Gabriel pointed out that Bulgaria does not set new conditions but expects the implementation of the commitments.

The deputy prime minister also spoke about digital diplomacy, focusing on two aspects - the fight against misinformation, which undermines the foundations of democratic societies, and Bulgaria's capacity to be an innovation hub. Mariya Gabriel recalled two important steps taken in terms of countering disinformation and hybrid attacks - the accession of our country to the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki and the signing in Washington of the Memorandum of Understanding between Bulgaria and the United States to counter foreign manipulation of information.

Maria Gabriel also pointed out that with her assumption of office as minister she had declared her will to work for raising the prestige of the Bulgarian diplomatic service and the goal to strengthen the staff of the service. "Together with my team, we have taken steps to increase the ministry's budget. By a Decree of the Council of Ministers adopted on 20 September this year, for the first time in 15 years, the Regulation on the travel funds for overseas assignments was updated on my proposal, which was an important step towards better and adequate remuneration of the work of Bulgarian diplomats.  I believe this development is motivating, especially for young colleagues", Gabriel underlined. 

The deputy prime minister announced that the time had come to prepare a new comprehensive foreign policy strategy for Bulgaria, which was welcomed by all present with great approval.

In conclusion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs thanked for the teamwork in implementing the listed priorities and encouraged the representatives of the diplomatic community to be proactive, with initiatives and proposals for concrete foreign policy actions in defending the country's national interests.