NEWS

The President: Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Are Our Moral Compass to Follow in Trying Times

The Bulgarian head of state was welcomed by the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella on the opening of an office of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO) in Rome

Freedom, democracy and human rights are the highest achievements of our civilization, for which generations have worked and must be defended every day. They are also our moral compass to follow in times of trial. This was stated by President Rumen Radev during his participation in the opening ceremony of an EPLO office in Rome. The head of state is on a visit to the Vatican and the Italian Republic, where he leads the Bulgarian delegation, which is traditionally received at an audience by the Supreme Pontiff on the occasion of the Day of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture, and of Slavic literature - 24 May. At the EPLO forum, the Bulgarian head of state was welcomed by his Italian colleague Sergio Mattarella. The President of the Republic of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, also participated in the event.

Rumen Radev pointed out that the challenges facing the European Union, related to growing uncertainty and rapid changes, test the values of a united Europe, lead to skepticism among the citizens of the member countries and undermine the competitiveness of the economies. Therefore, according to him, it is necessary that European law and national regulations be effectively adapted to modern challenges, but the decisions for this should not be hasty, but well thought out, reasonable and fair.

The President gave an example of the policy on illegal migration, which is a challenge for countries with borders external to the European Union, such as Bulgaria and Italy. On the one hand, European citizens, social systems, economies and even culture must be protected, but on the other hand, human rights must be respected and every person in need must be helped, the president pointed out. He highlighted the importance of the recently adopted by the European Council Pact on Migration and Asylum, the effectiveness of which, however, has yet to become clear.

The European Union's climate change policy was also the focus of the President's speech during the forum. Rumen Radev expressed his position that the transition to a low-carbon economy requires a balanced approach, in which hasty decisions are not applied and the economies, social systems and competitiveness of the member countries are not affected by it.

The Bulgarian head of state highlighted the role of cultural heritage as a unifying factor between countries in Europe such as Bulgaria and Italy. He indicated that tomorrow he will have an audience with Pope Francis, as well as visits to the San Clemente basilica, where the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius served for the first time in the Slavic language, and where St Cyril is buried. Tomorrow, the head of state will also visit another place related to Bulgaria in Rome - the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where in the 9th century Pope Adrian II blessed the Bulgarian alphabet.

EPLO is an international organisation  established in 2007 in Athens, Greece, dedicated to the creation and dissemination of knowledge in the fields of public law and governance, national and European public law, human rights and environmental law and the promotion of democratic values. To date, it has developed, organised, promoted and supported more than 200 educational, research, training and institutional activities and provided assistance to democratic institutions in more than 70 countries. In order to achieve its objectives, EPLO, which maintains offices worldwide, promotes cooperation with other institutions, organizations and bodies, in particular within the United Nations system.