The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union, Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov, represented the country at the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council, held today in Luxembourg
24 June 2025 News
The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union, Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov, represented Bulgaria at the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council, held today in Luxembourg.
The Council prepared the upcoming meeting of the European Council on 26 June, where conclusions are expected to be discussed and adopted on a broad range of issues, including the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, EU security and defence, external relations, competitiveness, and the Western Balkans.
One of the topics on the European Council’s agenda is Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area as of 1 January 2026. Ambassador Alexandrov highlighted Bulgaria’s full readiness for accession – in technical, institutional, and political terms – as confirmed in the convergence reports of the European Commission and the European Central Bank, and reaffirmed by the Eurogroup and the ECOFIN Council at their meetings at the end of last week. In this context, he expressed gratitude for the inclusion of this important recognition in the Council’s conclusions and voiced confidence that the European Council would support the timely and successful completion of the accession process.
Bulgaria reaffirmed its consistent support for Ukraine and for the EU’s collective efforts to end Russian aggression. Ambassador Alexandrov supported calls for a 30-day ceasefire and noted the importance of the ongoing peace negotiations in Istanbul, emphasising the role of diplomacy in achieving a lasting and just peace settlement.
On the Middle East, the Bulgarian representative expressed deep concern about the escalation in relations between Israel and Iran and called for maximum restraint in order to avoid a regional conflict. He stressed the importance of keeping all channels of communication with Israel open, adding that the Association Council provides a suitable forum for discussing all bilateral matters, including issues related to the implementation of the Association Agreement.
Bulgaria welcomed the EU’s Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region, with Ambassador Alexandrov expressing expectations for its effective implementation.
Bulgaria also supported the EU’s new strategies for the Single Market and competitiveness, with a focus on the need to simplify regulations and to promote small and medium-sized enterprises.
egarding the Western Balkans, Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov underscored that the accession process must be based on the individual merits of each candidate country. With regard to the Republic of North Macedonia, he referred to ongoing negative developments, including serious issues of discrimination and institutional pressure against Bulgarians in the country. He noted the decision of the Bulgarian National Assembly of 30 May 2025, which reaffirms Bulgaria’s commitment to the European Council’s July 2022 consensus, adopted unanimously by the Council of the EU, and stressed that only through its full and effective implementation can the Republic of North Macedonia make meaningful progress in its European integration.
The Council also discussed the 2025 European Semester package. A majority of Member States supported the special emphasis placed in the 2025 country-specific recommendations on competitiveness and the linkage between the Semester and the Competitiveness Compass.
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