Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel and Derek Chollet - Under Secretary and senior policy advisor to the US Secretary of State, opened the second session of the Strategic Dialogue between the Republic of Bulgaria and the United States at the State Department in Washington, said Gabriel's ministry Monday. The event takes place three years after the start of the dialogue, set for 2020.
The High-Level Strategic Dialogue between Bulgaria and the US is a forum for consultations and cooperation on global, regional, and bilateral issues of mutual interest.
Deputy PM Gabriel leads the Bulgarian Government delegation, which includes Justice Minister Atanas Slavov, Energy Minister Rumen Radev, Innovation and Growth Minister Milena Stoycheva, Deputy Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov, Deputy Minister of Interior Ivelina Dundakova, and Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth Georgi Angelov.
In her opening remarks, Gabriel said that Bulgaria and the United States are closer than ever as friends, allies and partners. "The strategic dialogue between Bulgaria and the United States was established in a very different international environment compared to the current one. Today, we face a wide range of new challenges that put regional and global security and prosperity to the test," she added.
Gabriel outlined the main topics of the dialogue - common approaches to regional and global problems, deepening cooperation in defence and security, economy and energy, protecting democracy and the rule of law, as well as expanding bilateral ties.
"There is potential to develop close relations and cooperation in innovation and research. Innovation drives economic growth and sectoral reforms and will provide a competitive advantage, also exploiting the opportunities of artificial intelligence, green energy, robotics and automation," Gabriel emphasized.
She also commented on the need for united and more effective action against disinformation and hybrid attacks and underlined the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding between Bulgaria and the US on countering foreign manipulation of information, which will be signed in the framework of the forum.
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