Minister Stoev: Connection between Europe and Asia is a key factor for peace building and conflict resolution
25 November 2021 News
“Sustainable connectivity between Europe and Asia is a key factor in building peace and resolving conflicts. It is a guarantee of prosperity, security and a rules-based multilateral international order.” This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Svetlan Stoev during the XIII Summit of the countries of the Asian-European Forum (ASEM), organized by Cambodia on November 25-26, 2021 in videoconference format. The topic of the forum was Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation for Shared Growth.
Minister Stoev made a statement on the topic of connectivity within the first plenary session "The role of ASEM in promoting multilateral international order based on the rules." The Bulgarian side highlighted as a priority the establishment of a program for joint connectivity between Europe and Asia, based on synergies between different projects and initiatives related to the needs of ordinary people, the civil society and the private sector.
"The key to success lies in meeting the goals of sustainable development, green and digital transformation, the sustainability of supply chains and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms", Svetlan Stoev said.
The positive experience of ASEM connectivity cooperation, including in the context of the Sustainable Development Dialogue and the Danube-Mekong initiative, can be applied in other regions.
It was emphasized that Bulgaria paid special attention to promoting connectivity with the EU's immediate neighbours, including through tripartite cooperation. Our Foreign Minister gave the example of the Three Seas Initiative, which provides an opportunity to strengthen connectivity within the EU and between the EU and its neighbouring regions.
The Bulgarian side also paid attention to the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region. It opens new avenues for strengthening connectivity with partners in the region, including through tangible results and visible projects, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.
Our Foreign Minister thanked Cambodia for organizing this summit, pointing out that ASEM remains a unique platform for open exchange of views between key actors in Europe and Asia.
The 13th ASEM Summit was attended by leaders of the Member States from Europe and Asia, as well as the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen. At the end of the forum, the adoption of three final documents is foreseen: Statement by the President of ASEM13, Statement by Phnom Penh on socio-economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and ASEM Document on Connectivity.