Minister Mitov and Thorbjørn Jagland discussed Bulgaria's Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
12 October 2015 News
We highly appreciate the role and the activities of the Council of Europe in the promotion of the common European democratic area based on the principles of pluralist democracy, rule of law and human rights protection. This statement was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Mitov during a joint press conference with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland, who is paying an official visit to Bulgaria.
The talks focused on the upcoming Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. “The Chairmanship, which starts on November 10, is a responsible task which opens up an opportunity to contribute to the regulation of the main political processes in the interest of democratic security in Europe,” the Foreign Minister said. He noted that within its Chairmanship Bulgaria will continue with the consultations on strengthening cooperation and promoting interaction with other international organizations in the name of peace and stability in Europe. As priority areas of work Minister Mitov highlighted protection of the rights of children and improving the access to culture of young people, media freedom and protection of vulnerable groups.
Thorbjørn Jagland welcomed the program for the upcoming Bulgarian Chairmanship and noted that it provides good opportunities to work together on major European rules and principles. "It is extremely important for us to have a pan-European platform for protecting human rights and the rule of law across the continent. Protecting the main principles of law, the separation of powers, judicial independence and media freedom are fundamental to the present period of European history,” he said.
Daniel Mitov and Thorbjørn Jagland discussed also issues on the Organization’s agenda such as migratory pressure, threat of radicalization leading to terrorism, situation in the Middle East and crisis in Syria. The Bulgarian top diplomat called for joint efforts to resolve the conflicts near the European borders. "Bulgaria can be a positive example for many countries in the region, mainly in relation to the compliance with all rules and regulations related to the refugee and immigration wave. Our country is doing a good job of protecting the external borders and providing adequate accommodation and integration conditions," the Foreign Minister said. CoE Secretary General emphasized that the rights of all people coming to Europe must be respected and the approach towards them should be in accordance with the existing European conventions.
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