Deputy Minister Elena Shekerletova participates in a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council
26 January 2026 News
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elena Shekerletova, took part in the first regular meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union for the year, held in Brussels.
At the start of the session, the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU presented its priorities, aimed at building a more autonomous European Union by reducing strategic dependencies and strengthening its ability to act effectively on the international stage. Key priorities highlighted included: Ukraine, the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), competitiveness and economic growth, security and defence, migration, and enlargement.
Deputy Minister Shekerletova expressed Bulgaria’s support for the outlined priorities, emphasising the importance of adopting the new Multiannual Financial Framework, within which the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy should be preserved. She also stressed the necessity for Russian aggression against Ukraine to remain among the leading priorities on the EU agenda. In this context, Bulgaria reaffirmed the vital role of the Black Sea region and the need for comprehensive support to address the direct and indirect consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as the timely implementation of the EU’s New Strategic Approach to the Black Sea. On the topic of enlargement, Deputy Minister Shekerletova welcomed the Cyprus Presidency's commitment to upholding the leading role of the 'own merits' principle and the established methodology of the European Union enlargement process.
During the meeting, the Council also discussed the Democracy Package for the first time, including communications on the European Democracy Shield and the EU Strategy for Civil Society. In her statement, Deputy Minister Shekerletova highlighted the added value of the European Democracy Shield as a framework for better coordination between national policies and European initiatives, as well as for encouraging the exchange of good practices and the development of common analyses and guidelines.
The Council also reviewed the rule of law reports for Denmark, Estonia, Spain, and Greece.
Later that same day, Deputy Minister Shekerletova represented Bulgaria at the 25th EU–Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference, during which Chapter 32 "Financial Control" of the accession negotiations was provisionally closed.
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