Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel met with EU Member States’ ambassadors
04 October 2023 News
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel met with EU Member States’ ambassadors. The meeting took place at the Boyana Residence.
The deputy prime minister welcomed the ambassadors and said that her goal was to make these meetings regular, a place for dialogue, cooperation and identifying common initiatives. "The meeting is an occasion to celebrate what has been achieved and to outline next steps", said Maria Gabriel.
"The main priority remains Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area by the end of 2023, the adoption of the common European currency before 1 January 2025. as well as the accession to the OECD", the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.
She thanked the ambassadors of all member states who have expressed support for our country's membership in Schengen and our accession to the euro area and the OECD.
Gabriel pointed out that the changes in the legislation and the judiciary have been assessed within the EU and in September this year the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for our country was finally abolished.
Maria Gabriel also emphasised Bulgaria's active participation in the EU and NATO, the importance of strategic partnerships and regional connectivity, pointing to Corridor 8 and the Three Seas Initiative as examples. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the joint declaration between Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Croatia adopted in New York within the UNGA session. The adoption of the document was initiated by the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister.
Gabriel also informed the ambassadors about the steps taken by the government to combat misinformation. She also stressed the need for investment in innovation and education.
The Deputy Prime Minister also paid special attention to the key role of cultural diplomacy. Maria Gabriel said that she looked forward to future proposals for cultural cooperation and would be happy to support projects that focus on cultural exchanges. "I believe such collaborations will be beneficial as they strengthen our shared sense of European identity, culture and values", Gabriel added.
H.E. Alejandro Polanco Mata, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain, doyen of the EU ambassadors in Sofia and representative of the country's Presidency of the Council of the EU.
He thanked for the invitation to the meeting and the good cooperation and confirmed his strong support for the country's membership in Schengen, the euro area and the OECD.
In his speech as a representative of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the EU he raised the issue of the future of the EU and the enlargement of the Union, which was actively discussed by the ambassadors of the member states.
Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel informed the diplomats about the upcoming meeting of the governments of Bulgaria, Romania and Greece in the beginning of next week, in which Moldova is also invited to join. "This will be a good opportunity to show our joint efforts to strengthen connectivity and discuss common initiatives," the Deputy Prime Minister underlined.
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