Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev held conversations with his British counterpart David Lammy in Sofia
17 January 2025 News
Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev met today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Mr David Lammy, who is visiting our country for the launch of a global campaign to promote family-type care for children around the world.
The two top diplomats discussed key issues on the bilateral and international agenda.
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with the excellent relations between the two countries and underlined the importance of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in October 2023. He also highlighted the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation in areas such as foreign policy, security and defence, economy, trade, science and technology.
The British side highly appreciated the cooperation with Bulgaria in countering organised crime, including in the fight against illegal migration.
In the context of the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, the two ministers reaffirmed their unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and agreed on the need to strengthen joint efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Black Sea region.
The renewal of the relations between the UK and the EU was also a topic of discussion, with Bulgaria confirming its support for strengthening the cooperation between Brussels and London in the field of foreign policy, security and defence.
Earlier in the day, at an official ceremony in Sofia, both ministers launched together a global campaign to promote family-type care for children around the world. The initiative aims to de-institutionalise childcare — an area in which the UK sees Bulgaria as a partner that has made remarkable progress over the past 30 years.
‘I am honoured to address you at the launch of this campaign. I take this opportunity as a recognition of Bulgaria’s achievement in implementing one of the most significant reforms in the social sphere, namely — the de-institutionalization of child care’, our first diplomat said in his speech at the ceremony and stressed that the family is the best environment for the upbringing and development of every child. He also pointed out that our country is ready to share its experience and good practices with other countries that are planning to reform in this direction.
For his part, David Lammy expressed his gratitude to Bulgaria for its commitment to the campaign and expressed his satisfaction with the joint efforts to improve the lives of children around the world.