Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva confers with the Saudi Foreign Minister and with the United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
19 September 2017 News
Within her visit to the UN Headquarters in New York, Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and with United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash.
Minister Zaharieva presented before her Saudi counterpart the measures undertaken by Bulgaria and the European Union against radicalisation and the language of hatred. “In our country, we live in peace with the Muslims and, in Sofia’s centre, an Orthodox church, a Catholic cathedral, a mosque and a synagogue are just at a distance of a few meters from one another,” the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister noted. She stressed the need of proper education that would prevent extremism among young people as well as the politicians’ responsibility to create conditions for a better life and a perspective for the adolescents in their countries. “You see that the perpetrators of terrorist attacks are already second- and third-generation European citizens who are under the influence of social media,” Minister Zaharieva said adding that terrorism cannot be associated with a specific religion.
“The Islamic State managed to attract a blue-eyed blond girl from a Catholic family in Italy,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said in support of Zaharieva’s statement. He noted that his country applies zero tolerance to terrorism, its financing and the language of hatred.
The two top diplomats of Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia discussed the development of the IT sector and robotics in Bulgaria, which Riyadh regards as priority investment targets.
Advancing relations with Saudi Arabia is a priority of Bulgaria's foreign policy, considering the country's powerful influence in the Arab and Muslim world and its considerable financial, economic and energy potential.
Deputy Prime Minister Zaharieva and United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash found that bilateral political relations are at an excellent level, but the two countries' governments are yet to and should develop this friendship into good business relations. The direct air services between Sofia and Dubai performed three times weekly also contribute to the good tourist ties and business contacts between Bulgaria and the United Arab Emirates.
The two top diplomats discussed the current situation in the Middle East and the Balkans and the action that the international community is taking to combat terrorism.
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