NEWS

President Rosen Plevneliev Held a Meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Torbjorn Jagland

During the Bulgarian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe our country will work for reconfirming the basic principles the European unification and cooperation are based on, planned in the Final act of Helsinki. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said at the meeting he held with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Torbjorn Jagland, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria.

The talks between Rosen Plevneliev and Torbjorn Jagland focused on the priorities of the Bulgarian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which will start on 10 November 2015. The Head of State said that the Bulgarian chairmanship will focus on reconfirming the basic principles of the Final act of Helsinki because currently these values are “threatened by forces which are trying to destabilize Europe and violate the international law.” Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity, refraining from issuing threats and using force, the inviolability of borders and the peaceful settlement of arguments are the principles that should not be questioned, the Head of State emphasized.

Torbjorn Jagland said that Bulgaria will take over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at a period marked by a lot of crises. “I believe you will cope successfully, you have a good program and abilities,” Jagland said.

The Head of State and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe voiced their concern over the challenges Europe is facing – the recent terror act in Turkey and also the stronger migration pressure. The two were adamant that violating the established democratic rules and the fundamental human rights create instability and insecurity. “We need to adopt a proactive approach, we need strong institutions and an active civil society. We should not simply register crises. We should detect them on time and solve them,” Rosen Plevneliev said.

At the meeting the Head of State highlighted that Bulgaria has been a member of the Council of Europe for over 20 years and has proved its will to encourage democratic values in our country. The President voiced hope that the ongoing post-monitoring dialogue of PACE should soon end. Rosen Plevneliev highlighted that Bulgaria has progressed in a lot of spheres, it has preserved its stability against the backdrop of the instability of the region and has launched a lot of reforms. “We hope that our progress will be acknowledged and awarded,” the Head of State said.