Participation of Ivan Kondov in the informal breakfast of the Central European Initiative foreign ministers
28 September 2024 News
On the last day of his programme of the General Debate of the 79th Session of the UNGA, Minister Ivan Kondov participated today in New York in the informal breakfast of the Foreign Ministers of the Central European Initiative (CEI) Member States, which was hosted by the Albanian Presidency of the format.
The CEI foreign ministers' discussion focused on the renewed momentum for EU enlargement against the backdrop of new geopolitical circumstances and the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has seriously affected international security and stability.
In his speech, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister expressed his conviction that European integration is the best way to guarantee and promote peace, security, prosperity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, in the interest of the citizens of the enlargement countries and thanked the Albanian CEI Presidency for organizing today's meeting.
Kondov stressed that regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations play an essential role in the preparations for accession and are a cornerstone in the enlargement process. In this sense, he highlighted the role of CEI as a valuable regional platform for political dialogue and cooperation, and as a facilitator of know-how transfer between countries within the format through results-oriented capacity building projects in support of European integration.
The Foreign Minister expressed his expectation that CEI will continue to pay attention to issues such as connectivity and sustainable mobility in the region in line with their thematic agenda. Well-developed infrastructure, he said, can contribute significantly to both economic development and increased security.
Kondov also stressed that it is extremely important for the EU to have as its immediate neighbours stable, reliable and prosperous countries that share and promote common European values, namely democracy, rule of law, human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities and communities. He recalled that the process of European integration requires efforts from both sides and that EU enlargement continues to be based on the principle of own merits and strict conditions, as well as on criteria valid for all. Kondov said he was looking forward to seeing all candidate countries as full EU members.
Later, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister met in New York with the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Ivan Kondov assured his Armenian counterpart that Armenia is a traditional economic partner for Bulgaria and that our country wants to develop comprehensive, long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation, stressing the need to further deepen trade and economic relations and to build on the cooperation between our countries in various areas of mutual interest. The Bulgarian first diplomat congratulated his counterpart for Armenia's demonstrated willingness to deepen relations with the EU and for the country's continued commitment to common European values and democratic reforms despite the volatile security environment and the complex geopolitical context. This, as well as the presence of a large number of Bulgarians of Armenian origin, have a positive impact on our bilateral cooperation.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Kondov also held a brief meeting with Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Abdallah Bouhabib. They discussed the worrying developments in the Middle East region. Minister Kondov also briefed his Lebanese counterpart on the results of the investigation carried out by the Bulgarian government into media publications implicating our country, which shows that there is no evidence of Bulgarian involvement in the production, trade or transfer of the communication devices described.
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