The Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Bulgaria have an important role in the implementation of the foreign policy priorities of our country
27 March 2014 News
The honorary consuls of the Republic of Bulgaria have an important role in the implementation of the foreign policy priorities of our country. They are an important instrument of our foreign policy, while the institute honorary consul is a great honor, which should be secured by real actions to support of the foreign policy goals of Bulgaria, said today Minister Kristian Vigenin at the official opening of the Annual Conference of Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Bulgaria. In the meeting, which was held for the first time in six years, participated more than 40 honorary consuls in over 25 countries.
Minister Kristian Vigenin presented briefly to the Honorary Consuls the current priorities and directions of the Bulgarian foreign policy. First, he pointed out the effective application of the EU and NATO membership in implementing the Bulgarian national interest and increasing the importance of the country on the international ground. Among the foreign policy priorities of our country, our top diplomat pointed out the implementation of a rational regional policy, based on the national interest and the shared Euro-Atlantic values. "This is a niche in which we have certain competence and expertise with which we can support the common European and Euro-Atlantic policy," he said.
Another indispensable priority is maintaining constructive and mutually beneficial relations with key partners and factors on the international arena, including the U.S. and Russia. Bulgaria also sustains active bilateral relations with the countries of the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Australia. Our interest in strengthening the relations with countries of thethe Asia- Pacific region, as well as the BRICS countries, is due to the constantly growing importance in the world economy, politics and finance, said Minister Vigenin.
Invariable priority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to protect the rights and interests of the Bulgarian citizens and communities abroad, pointed out the Foreign Minister . "We rely on the honorary consuls for providingassistance and protection of Bulgarian citizens abroad within their capabilities. Of a significant importance for the effectiveness of our work is the inclusion of the honorary consuls in the mechanism for providing assistance in emergency situations involving Bulgarian citizens abroad," he added.
No less important is the economization of the foreign policy and its placement on equal grounds withother foreign policy priorities. According to Kristian Vigenin, the new trade routes established in different provinces and regions of Asia and Africa, and other regions with particularly higheconomic growth, along with the traditional for Bulgaria European markets, generate the necessity of the institution of honorary consul.
"The honorary consul should be a bridge for the development of the contacts in all areas of bilateral cooperation, enhancing the reputation of Bulgaria and advocating its achievements in various fields. This is particularly applicable for countries in which we do not have diplomatic missions," said Kristian Vigenin. At the same time, the gradual expansion of the powers of the honorary consuls will be increasingly observed, especially in the field of consular services to citizens.
The honorary consuls possess one great advantage - they perfectly know the specifics of their consular districts, the cultural characteristics of the host country, and moreover, they have useful contacts on the ground. We hope that our specific projects and ideas will be successfully implemented with the support of the honorary consuls, the Foreign Minister said in conclusion.