Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova Opens the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process
10 June 2026 News
Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova opened the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the format. The event was held today in Sofia as part of Bulgaria’s Chairmanship-in-Office of the Process under the motto “30 Years of the SEECP – A Compass for Stability, Security and Resilience”.
In her opening remarks, Minister Petrova underlined that this anniversary is not only an occasion to take stock of the achievements made to date, but also an opportunity to reaffirm the direction in which the region should continue to develop – guided by unity, responsibility and a shared European vision.
Bulgaria’s top diplomat also stated that regional belonging and good-neighbourly relations constitute the foundation upon which the SEECP builds its resilience and capacity to respond to challenges in a dynamic international environment. In her words, European integration, human capital development, digital transformation and sustainable growth remain key priorities that require consistency, solidarity and a shared strategic horizon.
Minister Petrova also highlighted the need to strengthen regional cooperation in areas such as connectivity, energy resilience, economic growth, digital transformation, human capital development, and addressing emerging and hybrid challenges.
In her concluding remarks, she wished Bucharest a successful and productive term as the next Chair-in-Office of the Process.
The foreign ministers and heads of delegation approved a Joint Declaration marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the SEECP, which is expected to be adopted later today by the Heads of State during the Summit of the SEECP Participating States.
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