Minister Ivan Kondov discussed with Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen the role of the EU in international development cooperation
10 September 2024 News
Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov met today at the Foreign Ministry with Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, who is on a working visit in Sofia.
The discussion focused on the current geopolitical situation, including the multiple crises facing the world and their impact on international development cooperation. In this context, the focus was on Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and its regional and global implications, as well as on developments in the Middle East region.
Both interlocutors agreed that in the current complex geopolitical context, it is important to maintain the EU's leading role as the world's largest donor in international development cooperation. There was a general view that the EU's investment strategy for building sustainable infrastructure, the Global Gateway, is key to addressing the most pressing global challenges, including climate change, green and digital transformation, health, education.
‘We firmly believe that this strategy is the right way to build sustainable partnerships based on trust and common interests’, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister said, stressing the importance for Bulgaria of the implementation of one of the flagship projects of the Global Gateway — the Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII.
Minister Kondov and Commissioner Urpilainen united around the opinion that in order to overcome the numerous challenges, enhanced coordination between the EU Member States and the European institutions is crucial. ‘We appreciate your personal commitment to the Team Europe approach, which has proven to be an effective model for joint action’, the Bulgarian first diplomat said, noting Bulgaria’s participation in several projects within the initiative —in Nigeria, Iran and Vietnam.