site.btaSchengen, Eurozone Accession Are Government's Main Priority - Justice Minister Slavov in US

Minister of Justice Atanas Slavov held meetings in the USA with US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz and with Kelly Razzouk, Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights in the National Security Council of the White House, the Justice Ministry said.

The focus of the conversation with Kelly Razzouk, Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights in the National Security Council of the White House were the upcoming constitutional changes in Bulgaria and their implications for the Bulgarian legal system. The anti-corruption law recently voted by the National Assembly and how to implement the new framework as efficiently as possible were also discussed. Anti-democratic movements and the possibilities of countering them were also a topic of discussion.

During his conversation with Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz, Slavov indicated that joining Schengen and the Eurozone continues to be the government's top priority. The initiated reforms, constitutional and legislative, also made a strong impression.

The new anti-corruption law makes it possible to exchange experience between the two countries. "Building the expert capacity of the new anti-corruption commission are the next very important steps we need to take," the Minister of Justice said.

The meeting was also attended by the chief of staff of Minister Slavov, Borislav Ganchev.

On September 25 a high-level strategic dialogue between Bulgaria and the USA was held in Washington DC. Bilateral, regional and global issues of priority importance for both countries were then discussed.