Zaharieva thanks Mogherini for her support during the Presidency, and Austria, for carrying further Bulgaria’s priorities
25 June 2018 News
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva took part on the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, held in Luxembourg, which was the last such meeting under the Bulgarian Presidency. She thanked Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, for her support and the excellent cooperation of Bulgaria with the European External Action Service. Our top diplomat also summarized the efforts of Bulgaria for the European perspective of the Western Balkans, which have already acquired a concrete dimension in the Sofia Agenda approved by the EU leaders.
‘We are happy that our Austrian friends will carry on working on our priority, the integration of the countries of the Western Balkans, each on its own merit. Dear Karin, you have our full support, and I wish you a successful Presidency,’ was how Zaharieva addressed Austrian Foreign Minister Ms. Karin Kneissl.
At a joint session during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, the ministers of foreign affairs and the ministers of defense discussed the implementation of the Global Strategy on Security and Defence. They expressed their satisfaction with the progress made in setting up the Permanent Structured Cooperation and adopted the rules for project management in its framework. The participants voiced their high appreciation of the accords, reached under the Bulgarian Presidency, about the European Defence Industrial Development Programme, through which the Union will finance projects for building defence capabilities. They also welcomed the progress made in developing the civilian capabilities of the Union and discussed measures to boost sustainability and counteract hybrid attacks.
At a joint session with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, the ministers discussed developments in the cooperation between the EU and NATO, including in the area of military mobility, reaching the common opinion that challenges to security require closer collaboration between the two organizations.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths presented to the top EU diplomats his peace plan for that country. The attendees expressed their full support for Griffith’s efforts for the resumption of negotiations between the warring parties and for finding an inclusive political solution to the conflict. They emphasized the necessity of securing unimpeded humanitarian access there. Bulgaria has already made a financial contribution to overcoming the crisis in Yemen: by a decision of the Council of Ministers, the amount of EUR 50,000 was wired as a voluntary donation to UNICEF on March 30th of this year.
The ministers underscored the importance of supporting Jordan, a country of key importance for the stability of the Middle East. They reaffirmed the Union’s preparedness to consider the options for granting additional support to the Hashemite Kingdom, including for dealing with the challenges posed by the large number of refugees in that country.
The Foreign Affairs Council also discussed the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. The participants pointed out the importance of ensuring the freedom of navigation and stated the readiness of the Union to commit itself more actively to strengthening the security dialog in the region.
Minister Zaharieva and Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu briefed their colleagues on the outcomes of the European Maritime Day, held in Burgas on May 31st-June 1st, 2018. They emphasized the importance of the Black Sea region and the need to step up the support of European institutions for the development of regional cooperation.
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