Minister Kondov took part in the informal meeting in New York of the Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States

The day before the opening of the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, the EU foreign ministers held their traditional meeting to coordinate positions on the leading topics on the agenda. The meeting took place at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in New York. The main topics of the discussions were the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. The first diplomats of the EU countries also had a meeting with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha.

Russia's military aggression against Ukraine has been a constant item on the agenda of EU foreign ministers since its inception. The common understanding of the participants in the meeting was that with its revisionist agenda, its aggressive war in violation of international law and its nuclear threats, and with its veto power in the UN, Russia violates the basic principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, threatens democracy, freedom and security in Europe.

Protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders is crucial, and peace for Ukraine — a lasting, comprehensive and just peace — can only be based on the UN Charter and the principles of international law. Ivan Kondov delivered this message in his speech to the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha when he joined the EU foreign ministers, adding that this is important for Ukraine, for our Black Sea region and for Europe as a whole. ‘President Zelensky’s peace formula remains the only credible peace format for achieving a just and lasting peace, which must be led by Ukraine’, Minister Kondov further stressed at the meeting with Ukraine's top diplomat.

Ivan Kondov expressed his conviction that sanctions are a powerful tool to increase pressure on Russia in response to its illegal and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. They have already had a tangible impact on the Russian economy and their structural impact on Russia's financial, industrial and technological base is expected to increase further over time. He called for a further consolidation of European efforts to increase the effectiveness of sanctions, with priority on their active scope and preventing opportunities for their circumvention.

Earlier in the day, Minister Kondov took part in the G7+ Foreign Ministers' Meeting on support for Ukraine's energy sector.

The discussion on the situation in the Middle East took place in preparation for the Ministerial Meeting on the situation in Gaza and the implementation of the two-state solution as a path to a just and comprehensive peace, included in the agenda of the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. The EU foreign ministers discussed at their meeting in New York the deteriorating situation in Lebanon.

During the day, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister also held several bilateral meetings with his counterparts. After their telephone conversation on September 2, Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov met and spoke in New York with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman— Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.

Minister Kondov assured his Omani counterpart that the Bulgarian side sees the current meeting as an appropriate opportunity to outline a strategic roadmap for the further development and upgrading of the political dialogue between the two countries. It was also confirmed the desire expressed in the recent telephone conversation between the two ministers to make consistent joint efforts to raise bilateral cooperation to a level that is adequate to the shared interest in the current regional and global challenges.

In this sense, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister renewed the invitation extended to his Omani counterpart to visit Bulgaria, which will give additional impetus to the development of relations between our two countries and will help both to maintain the political dialogue at the necessary high level and to outline new prospects for deepening sectoral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The two ministers also discussed the extremely tense situation in the Middle East region, the current developments arising from the conflict in Gaza, its grave humanitarian dimensions, and the opportunities for supporting the efforts of the international community for de-escalation. Ivan Kondov discussed with his Omani counterpart the actions taken by the Bulgarian government to resolve the case of the crew of the Galaxy Leader detained in Yemen and reiterated his gratitude for the support provided.

Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, for his part, reiterated the Omani side's high appreciation for the consistent steps taken in recent months to intensify bilateral dialogue. He reiterated the readiness of the Omani side for further close cooperation with Bulgaria in all areas of mutual interest.

As an expression of the desire of the two countries to deepen bilateral cooperation and intensify bilateral dialogue, Minister Kondov and Minister Albusaidi signed an Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Sultanate of Oman on mutual exemption from visa requirements for short-term stay of holders of diplomatic, special and service passports, and a Memorandum of Understanding on holding bilateral consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Oman and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Oman. It was also agreed in principle to take the necessary follow-up steps to open a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Bulgaria in Muscat.

Earlier in the day Ivan Kondov also met with the Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Ervin Ibrahimović, with whom they discussed the opportunities for deepening the existing excellent relations and broad dialogue based on friendship and mutual respect between Bulgaria and Montenegro as NATO allies and partners in a number of regional formats and initiatives, where our countries share common values and responsibilities for preserving security and stability in our region. Minister Kondov took the opportunity to assure his counterpart that Bulgaria will continue to firmly support Montenegro's EU membership perspective.