Bulgaria Backs International Community’s Efforts To Encourage Freedom of Religion, Faith
17 November 2020 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev took part in the annual forum in support of religious freedoms. The meeting focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the people and on the challenges to religious freedom in the conditions of a pandemic.
„The pandemic’s growing impact on human rights, democracy, and rule of law reminds us that respect for fundamental rights should remain at the core of international efforts in the fight against COVID-19,“ Deputy Minister Georg Georgiev said.
This year’s conference was hosted by Poland and was held in virtual reality over two days, on November, 16 and 17, in the attendance of senior representatives of countries in all parts of the world and non-governmental organisations.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo addressed the participants in the forum. He was the author of an initiative to strengthen international cooperation in this direction. Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Representative on Religious Freedom or Belief, and David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee, were expected to join the conference’s panels.
Deputy Minister Georgiev will take part in an accompanying event on the conference’s second day, 17 November 2020 - a ministerial meeting organized by the International Religious Freedom Alliance. The event was organized under the patronage of Samuel Brownback, US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, who is also Chairman of the Alliance.