NEWS

President Rosen Plevneliev and Prime Minister Plamen Oreshrski held a working meeting at 2 Dondukov street. The two discussed the situation in Ukraine and the region on the occasion of the forthcoming extraordinary European Council due to be held tomorrow. 

 

According to the Head of State, Bulgaria should insist that the European Union adopts a unified position regarding the events unfolding in Ukraine and the region, should support preserving the country’s territorial integrity and not allow escalation of the tension.

 

The Head of State voiced his concern about Russia’s actions, which threaten the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In the President’s opinion, in Brussels our country should call on for guaranteeing the democratic foundations of Ukraine and for observing the rules of international law and the agreements which do not allow a military invasion in a sovereign state. The cooperation both on a national and on a European level with the Ukrainian government should be strengthened and the dialogue with the civil society in Ukraine should be expanded. Actions such as the abolishment of the law on the foundation of the state language policy should not be allowed.

 

Rosen Plevneliev thinks that all countries should adopt the position that the people of Ukraine have the right to alone decide what their future will be which can happen if fair and democratic elections are held. During the working meeting the Head of State and the Prime Minister discussed also the opportunity for Bulgaria at the European Council to raise the issue of speeding up the signing of Association Agreements with Georgia and Moldova, as early as the term of office of the current European Commission. The President emphasized that the EU’s door for Ukraine’s association is wide open.

 

The President thinks that it is extremely important that the EU also speeds up the European integration of the South-East European countries. Only connected and integrated, our region will be a factor ensuring stability and growth, as is the example set by the Visegrad group, the Head of State further said. The President holds the opinion that the world must not go back to the years of the Cold War because one of the greatest achievements of the EU in the past 15 years is spreading democracy to the east. Rosen Plevneliev emphasized that the EU should pursue a unified policy on Russia and it must maintain a dialogue with the country under conditions of strict observance of international norms.

 

During the meeting the President voiced his adamant position that Bulgaria should diversify its gas supplies. Speeding up the work on building the gas connections with Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Romania, as well as connecting all networks – energy, road and others is necessary to this effect, the Head of State said. The implementation of these projects as soon as possible is a national priority. Ensuring energy diversification and energy independence are measures in support of national security, Rosen Plevneliev further added. According to the President, since the topic is important, it should also become a European priority. 

 

The Head of State highly appreciates the timely convening of the Security Council at the Council of Ministers on the situation in Ukraine, the establishment of a crisis center as well as the outlining of short-term, mid-term and long-term measures to prevent possible risks.

 

The President and the Prime Minister will continue to closely follow what is happening to the Bulgarians abroad and how their rights are guaranteed. In their opinion, the communication with the Bulgarian Diaspora in Ukraine on an institutional level should be strengthened.      

The meeting was held at the initiative of Denmark's ambassador to Bulgaria Flemming Stender within the framework of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU

In his speech, the president pointed out that Bulgaria highly values its relations with Iraq, which is an important partner in the Middle East region

Taking advantage of their geostrategic position, Bulgaria and Georgia have the potential to deepen their connectivity in various areas such as transport, energy, and the digital sector, which will contribute to promoting the economy, investment, and prosperity in the Black Sea region. This was stated by President Rumen Radev, who held a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili.

The two were unanimous that restoring peace in Europe through diplomacy is a priority for the EU and the only way to ensure the long-term security and stability of the Old Continent.