site.btaDeputy Foreign Minister Shekerletova at EU General Affairs Council's Year-End Meeting

Bulgaria shares the general view in the EU that control of unregulated migration requires innovative approaches. Concerning EU enlargement, Sofia agrees that candidate countries should be judged on their own merit. These matters were on the agenda of the December meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, held in Brussels on Tuesday. Bulgaria was represented at the meeting by its Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Shekerletova, the Foreign Ministry reported.

The meeting was primarily concerned with the conclusions for the regular European Council meeting on December 19, conclusions on the policy of EU enlargement, the bloc's relations with the United Kingdom and the future of Europe.

In a statement, Shekerletova emphasized the continuing support for Ukraine in all dimensions. Discussing Syria, she called for a peaceful transition in the country involving all communities. She expressed hope that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah will help stabilize the situation.

Bulgaria and the other member states agreed that the return of illegal migrants should be stepped up, and unregulated migration should be suppressed using innovative approaches which can keep the migrants from entering the EU. Shekerletova welcomed the positive message in the conclusions proposed for the European Council about the completion of Bulgaria's and Romania's integration into the Schengen area.

The ministers approved the annual conclusions for the European Council concerning the EU enlargement policy. Shekerletova said the enlargement process remains governed by the candidate countries' progress and the rule that they are judged on their own merit. She welcomed the advancement of Albania and Montenegro over the last year. She recalled that the European Consensus of 2022 defines the conditions for North Macedonia's advancement on the path to the EU. In their conclusions, the ministers urge North Macedonia to expedite the adoption of constitutional amendments and stress the need for tangible results and good faith as regards the implementation of the country's Good-neighbourliness Treaty with Bulgaria in accordance with the framework for Skopje's accession negotiations with the EU.

The diplomats agreed on the need for a common approach in the EU policy on the UK to enable the bloc to defend its interests in the best possible way. Shekerletova said: "We see three important aspects to the deepening of EU-UK relations: foreign, security and defence policy, promoting youth mobility, and respect for the rights of EU citizens in the United Kingdom."

Also on Tuesday, Shekerletova led the Bulgarian delegation to the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference, which served to open negotiations with Albania on Cluster 6: External Relations, and the EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference, which saw the closure of three negotiation chapters.