site.btaForeign Minister Visits Ukraine's Odessa Province

Foreign Minister Visits Ukraine's Odessa Province

Odessa/Sofia, July 6 (BTA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel
Mitov was in Ukraine's Odessa Province between Sunday and Monday
for a series of talks with members of the local Bulgarian
community and meetings with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo
Klimkin and Odessa Province Governor Mikheil Saakashvili, the
Bulgarian Foreign Ministry reported.

During his talks with Klimkin and Saakashvili, the Bulgarian top
diplomat reiterated his country's support for Ukraine's
territorial integrity and independence. "I want to see Ukraine
where Bulgaria is: in the European Union," Mitov said.
Saakashvili said that Ukraine's path to the EU goes via Bulgaria
and the Bulgarians holding Ukrainian citizenship.

The sides also discussed the need for infrastructural changes in
Odessa, partly by using EU funding, and future nationwide
legislative and administrative reforms in Ukraine.

Mitov visited the Bulgarian school in Bolhrad. His ministry
donated 11 computers to the school, equipping a separate room
with them. Mitov delivered Bulgarian fiction books.

Meeting with Bulgarians in Odessa Province on Sunday evening,
Mitov said that 20,000 leva in humanitarian supplies provided by
Bulgarian citizens will arrive in the area shortly.

He announced that the BNT World television channel has started
broadcasting in the cities of Odessa and Izmail thanks to the
efforts of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. "I believe that this
will make our fellow Bulgarians better informed and will help
invigorate their intellectual and cultural relationship with
Bulgaria," Mitov said. Such broadcasts will also become
accessible in other Ukrainian cities, which is crucial for the
preservation of the local Bulgarian community, he said.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Mitov will join Bulgarian
President Rosen Plevneliev who will be paying an official visit
to Kiev.