site.bta Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov: European Security Is Priority Goal for Bulgaria, Great Britain

Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov: European Security Is Priority Goal for Bulgaria, Great Britain

Sofia, October 24 (BTA) - Great Britain is a strategic partner in Europe, an important ally within NATO and a valuable party to issues of regional and global scale and this is expected to remain unchanged after the outcome from the Brexit referendum, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry quoted Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov as saying during a meeting on Monday with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

The talks, held as part of Mitov's working visit to the UK, focused on bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest like security, the migration crisis, the fight against terrorism, cooperation within NATO and a vision for EU's future after the Brexit referendum.

"Ensuring Europe's security is a priority goal for Bulgaria and Great Britain. We have agreed to step up cooperation in managing migration flows and in the fight against terrorism," Mitov said, adding that the UK recognises the importance of protecting the Bulgarian-Turkish border as first external border of the EU and that the government in Sofia expects a solidarity-based approach to building up capacities for maximum border security and for combating effectively illegal migration and human trafficking.

The meeting also covered topics ranging from the conflict in Syria, the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and the need for assistance in that respect. The two government officials stressed the need for joint efforts on the part of the European countries, including Bulgaria and the UK, to resolve the crisis and uphold international law on human rights.

With regards to cooperation within NATO, Mitov said the British government has undertaken to participate in the enhanced NATO presence along the Southern Flank in the context of the relevant decisions made at the NATO summit in Warsaw.

Mitov and Johnson also conversed about the future relations of the EU member states with Great Britain after the referendum in that country and the triggering of the formal mechanism under Article 50. "From our point of view, it is critical to ensure the rights of the Bulgarian citizens that live and work in Great Britain. The British government is working on a mandate for negotiations, talks on this issue are upcoming with the status of our fellow countrymen, of course, set to form an essential element of that debate," Mitov said during the meeting.