The implementation of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change were in the focus of the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Development) held in Brussels today. The Bulgarian delegation was led by Ambassador Dimiter Tzantchev, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the EU.

The Council reaffirmed the need to consolidate the leading role of the EU in implementing the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. It provided guidance for the upcoming Conclusions on the Joint Report of the EU and the member states on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, which will be presented at the High Level Political Forum in New York in July.

The leading role of the EU and its member states is of key importance for making genuine progress in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The EU should continue to provide an example by setting high standards in sustainable development and in combating climate change, said the Bulgarian representative in his statement before the forum.

At the same time, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda cannot remain solely an EU commitment; we must therefore continue to promote effective partnerships and better coordination with all parties concerned, underscored Ambassador Dimiter Tzantchev. Focusing on the common goals, collaborative work and sharing experience and resources will contribute to improving our cooperation and the fulfillment of the joint commitments, he noted.

The ministers also exchanged opinions about the challenges facing young people and their rope in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Youth also participated in the discussion. The participants all subscribed to the common view that young people are the key driver of the implementation of Agenda 2030 and that, in that context, the attention of the EU should be focused on supporting better education and access to quality employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, especially in their respective countries of origin.

Further, the ministers discussed informally the financial architecture for neighborhood and sustainable development in the coming Multiannual Financial Framework. Bulgaria voiced its appreciation for the effort to simplify the structure of external financial instruments. At the same time, it remained firmly against the inclusion of the European Development Fund in the common EU budget. We continue to insist that the European Neighborhood Instrument should remain as a separate instrument.