Great Britain is Bulgaria’s strategic partner in Europe and ally within NATO. Our country highly appreciates London’s support for implementing key reforms in the sphere of justice and for achieving results in the fight against corruption and organized crime. This is what President Rumen Radev said, who held a meeting with Emma Hopkins, the British ambassador to Bulgaria, at 2 Dondukov street today. At the talks, the Head of State voiced conviction that despite Brexit, Sofia and London will continue their effective cooperation in key spheres of mutual interest: defense, migration, fighting terrorism, reform in justice, economy and investments.
President Radev and Ambassador Hopkins were unanimous that adopting long-term measures to protect the European borders and to fight illegal trafficking serves the interest of all European countries.
Bulgaria’s efforts to adopt effective measures to fight corruption were among the highlights at the meeting. Ambassador Hopkins shared Great Britain’s experience in taking preventive actions and ensuring transparency in the process of awarding and the performance of public procurement contracts, including the experience of companies domiciled in the United Kingdom which participate in tenders in Bulgaria. In the Head of State’s words, fighting corruption practices should take place in real time, not post factum. Rumen Radev voiced conviction that the legislative measures taken to counteract corruption should strengthen the capacity to timely expose, investigate and neutralize corruption schemes and punish the perpetrators. Due emphasis should be laid on the transparency and accountability of the public procurement contracts. The role of the European Commission’s Cooperation and Verification Mechanism regarding Bulgaria was highlighted at the talks.
Emma Hopkins and Rumen Radev also discussed the Agreement on a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in the sphere of defense signed by 23 EU member states his week. The two agreed that such an agreement should optimize the EU member states’ government spending on defense and the development of their defense potential.
President Radev voiced Bulgaria’s hopes that when Brexit takes place, all rights of our compatriots who live, study and work in Great Britain, will be guaranteed.