Kristian Vigenin: UN GA will be marked by the current events in Syria
23 September 2013 News
The main theme of the UN General Assembly opening today is related to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the post-2015 agenda. The debates will be certainly influenced by the events in Syria, Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
Minister Vigenin who is part of the Bulgarian delegation to the 68th session of the UN GA, noted that the discussions on the text of the resolution continue and it should outline specific steps to place Syria’s chemical arsenal under international control. "There are also many expectations for dealing with the next more important issue - ending violence, negotiations and peaceful transition," he said.
According to Minister Vigenin, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that within a week there will be a positive development of the situation and perhaps a date for the "Geneva II" peace conference. "Hopes are such due to the fact that the chemical weapons breakthrough is important, but it can not be fully realized unless the next step is made, i.e. ending the violence," he said.
According to Minister Vigenin, it is clear for all that the instability in the Middle East creates problems for Bulgaria, the most evident of which are the current difficulties caused by the increased influx of Syrian refugees. This issue was among the topics of conversation, covered during all bilateral meetings held by Minister Vigenin during his visit to the US, with the hope of gaining political and technical support.
Today the Bulgarian Foreign Minister will meet with his counterparts from Switzerland, Qatar, Palestine, Lebanon and Israel. Later in the program he has a scheduled meeting with the Secretary General of the Arab League. "We must seek consensus to find positive solutions to alleviate this humanitarian and human tragedy. On one side, Syrian refugees are over 2 million, on the other the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are also millions," Vigenin said.
Bulgaria will seek support to deal with the refugee problem also from the EU, but the procedure is lengthy and complicated. Minister Vigenin informed that the MFA has taken the necessary steps to prepare an application for funding as well as hosting refugees in other member states. We expect financial and technical assistance from several international organizations.
Foreign Minister urged not to provoke unnecessary fear in the Bulgarian population. "The state is able to manage this process. What happens at our borders will not affect the functioning of the state and the security of the citizens,” he said, adding that the MFA works actively on guaranteeing the security of Bulgarian citizens and diplomatic missions in conflict areas, and on the preparation of evacuation process if necessary.