Informal Meeting of the SEECP Foreign Ministers
01 October 2015 News
The First Informal Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Participants was held on 30 September in New York. The meeting was hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Daniel Mitov, in his capacity as the current SEECP Chairman (1 July 2015 – 30 June 2016). Alongside with the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanović and the Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova also attended the event.
In his statement, Minister Mitov reiterated the initiative’s role as a leading political format in the SEE region – a factor for security, stability, and prosperity. Furthermore, he highlighted SEECP’s importance for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries from the Western Balkan.
Minister Mitov outlined the priorities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office, pointing out that Bulgaria’s efforts will be focused on three key areas of interaction in the region: connectivity – transport, energy, and infrastructure; media freedom and freedom of expression; migration and coping with the refugee flow. The Foreign Minister informed the guests about the upcoming events from the calendar of the C-i-O and those fulfilled so far. Under the motto “SEECP – 20 Years Key to Regional Cooperation”, the Republic of Bulgaria also marks the 20th Anniversary of the format’s foundation in 1996 in Sofia.
Following the welcome speech a discussion was held, whereby the top diplomats reviewed the most recent regional and European issues, including the latest developments and prospects before the SEECP, the format’s interaction with other regional initiatives, the possibilities to deal with the challenges stemming from the migratory flows, as well as the need to promote economic growth and increase the connectivity between the countries of the region. Regarding the situation with the refugee flow in the SEE region, Minister Mitov expressed his concern, stressing the need to establish a joint coordination mechanism to fight illegal migration and human trafficking.
The RCC Secretary General Goran Svilanović presented the regional platform for cooperation in the fight against radicalization and the entrance of foreign terrorist fighters, jointly drafted with guidance from the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office. The participants agreed that the collective work on the project would continue, whereas this objective will require the assistance of all regional and international institutions that are active in this field.