Minister Daniel Mitov held a meeting with the UK Ambassador Emma Hopkins
24 June 2016 News
The EU referendum in the UK was at the focus of today’s talks of Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov and Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to Bulgaria Emma Hopkins.
We respect the will of British citizens but at the same time we are disappointed that a nation with such major contribution to European policies chooses a different direction. For us it is important to focus on what lies ahead and find the right approach towards our cooperation,” Minister Mitov said. He added that the UK remains an important partner for Bulgaria in Europe, as well as an ally in NATO and other international organizations.
Ambassador Hopkins said that a long negotiating process is about to take place and the UK will take careful steps as it negotiates the terms with the EU to make sure they are in the best interest of both the UK and the EU. "We will strive to ensure a smooth and balanced transition to the new relations between the UK and the EU on the basis of our common goals," Ambassador Hopkins said.
The two sides also discussed the implications of the referendum for bilateral relations. They agreed that the two countries will preserve their traditional relations of friendship and continue to develop them in areas of mutual interest, including business and economy, fight against organized crime, border security, and tourism.
"Relations between our countries have a long history – they were established before the European Union and will continue to evolve in the current situation in Europe," the British Ambassador said. She pointed out that things will remain unchanged for the time being and Bulgarian citizens will continue to travel freely and have the same employment opportunities in the UK as they do now.
During the meeting, they took stock of the issue of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council, which was scheduled to take place together with the UK and Estonia. Minister Mitov and Ambassador Hopkins agreed that during the upcoming talks the issue will be resolved and the active communication between the two countries will continue in the future.