site.btaSofia Hosts Southeastern Europe Security Conference

Sofia, December 1 (BTA) - The Bulgarian capital Sofia hosted the
 Southeastern Europe Security Conference for the 14th time, the
Interior Ministry reported on Tuesday. The event was organized
by the Interior Ministry, the Sofia-based Police Chiefs
Association (PCA) and the Balkan Studies Centre at the
University of National and World Economy (UNWE).

This time, the conference was held online under the motto
"Imperatives to Rethink."

In an opening statement, Interior Minister Hristo Terziiski said
 that security in Southeastern Europe, including the Western
Balkans, has always been a priority for the Bulgarian government
 and its Interior Ministry. He noted that the region attracts
international criminal organizations with its geostrategic
location. "We are faced with a number of common challenges,
including organized and serious crime, terrorism and illegal
migration. Without a doubt, the new major security challenge in
2020 is the spread of COVID-19," Terziiski said.

Deputy Interior Minister Milen Lyutskanov, UNWE Rector Dimiter
Dimitrov, PCA President Roumen Stoilov and the German Embassy in
 Sofia (representing the current Presidency of the EU Council)
greeted the participants in the meeting.

The conference focused on the imperatives to rethink the risks
and threats to Southeastern Europe's security amid the COVID-19
pandemic. The keynote reports discussed: the pandemic and
economic security; geostrategic interference in the Black Sea
and regional security; energy security in the context of
pandemic-tainted geopolitics; and possible changes affecting
Southeastern Europe in the wake of the US presidential
elections. RY/VE