Enhanced coordination on issues of regional cooperation
09 April 2014 News
On the proposal of the Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin the government has decided to expand the functions of the created in 2011 International Development Cooperation Council by adding the external aspects of the state policy in the field of regional cooperation. With the adopted by the Council of Ministers decree, the Council is transformed into International Development Cooperation and Regional Cooperation Council.
Bulgaria participates in various forms of regional cooperation, which is also among the priorities of the country’s foreign policy. The changes, related to the Council's activities, are aimed at ensuring consistency of the Bulgarian positions in the policy formation and the implementation of the Bulgarian foreign policy interests at regional level.
Among the major functions of the International Development Cooperation and Regional Cooperation Council is the adoption of projects of national strategic documents, related to the external aspects of state policy in the field of regional cooperation and the coordination of the activities on their implementation. The Council will accept opinions and prepare draft decisions on specific issues of regional cooperation, as well as on the proposed by other countries regional programs and initiatives. It will prepare, adopt and submit for approval by the Council of Ministers projects for regional initiatives and will coordinate the activities on their organization and implementation.
The Council will coordinate the activities of the ministries and the departments, related to their participation in regional forums, and will analyze the activities and the developments of the various forms of regional cooperation in terms of the foreign policy interests of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs will chair the International Development Cooperation and Regional Cooperation Council. Its structure is composed in order to provide full representation of all ministries and Council members are one of each Deputy Ministers: of Economy and Energy, Justice, Interior, Finance, Labor and Social Policy, Investment Planning, Agriculture and Food, Regional Development, Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Environment and Water, Health, Education and Science, Culture , Defence, and Youth and Sports.