site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Talks with EU Ambassadors

Foreign Minister Mitov Talks with EU Ambassadors


Sofia, February 2 (BTA) - Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov held a
working meeting with the ambassadors of the EU Member States on
Monday at the invitation of Ambassador Ilgvars Klava of Latvia,
which is holding the rotating EU Presidency, the Foreign
Ministry said.

The participants discussed matters on the international agenda,
including the Ukraine conflict, the situation in the Middle
East, the Western Balkans and regional security, economic
challenges to the EU, and the European Energy Union.

Mitov said the Bulgarian government was sending clear and strong
 signals that it is ready for reforms and political stability,
and is regaining the confidence of its international partners.
He assured the ambassadors that Bulgaria is a predictable,
reliable and loyal ally.

The participants concurred that only implementation of the Minsk
 agreements can de-escalate the Ukraine conflict, and that only
a united EU can live up to the new challenges. The diplomats
discussed the implementation of the decisions of the NATO Wales
Summit, with Mitov stressing the need to modernize the Bulgarian
 armed forces to make them interoperable with the Alliance's.

Mitov spoke about the strong migration pressure on Bulgaria and
asked the ambassadors for support and assistance. He expressed a
 hope that the EU countries are aware of Bulgaria's efforts to
defend the EU's external borders, and stressed that it has been
doing this in a perfect manner.

Asked about regional cooperation, Mitov said that for Bulgaria,
it is a key instrument for regional security and stability. He
reaffirmed Sofia's position in favour of EU membership for the
countries of the Western Balkans, and stressed that there is no
alternative to their European prospects.

Talking about energy security, Mitov said building the European
Energy Union is one of its key components -  a matter of
strategic importance for Bulgaria. He said that the construction
 of gas interconnectors with Bulgaria's neighbours is a key
priority. "Our national interest now requires that we attract
investments, guarantee supplies and redistribution, and build
interconnectors with Greece and Romania," said Mitov.

In conclusion, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister thanked the
European Commission and the EU Member States for the credit of
confidence granted to the government in the latest report under
the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and assured the
ambassadors that Bulgaria would continue working to make the
necessary reforms.