site.btaDeputy Foreign Minister Elena Shekerletova Attends General Affairs Council in Brussels

Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Shekerletova represented Bulgaria at the meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union, the press center of the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The European Ministers focused on the preparation of the upcoming European Council meeting on March 20-21, relations between the European Union and the U.K., the European Semester and legislative programming.

The Council discussed the draft conclusions that European leaders are expected to adopt at their upcoming meeting. The topics they will address include Ukraine, the Middle East, defense, competitiveness, the multiannual financial framework and new own resources, migration, multilateralism and the state of the oceans.

The Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister identified the need to provide Ukraine with sufficient guarantees for its security within the framework of the upcoming negotiations. She highlighted the topics of competitiveness, migration and the multiannual financial framework as important for Bulgaria. “The EU must urgently increase its competitiveness by reducing unnecessary and burdensome regulations for business,” Deputy Minister Shekerletova emphasized. “We will also support the proposed text in the migration section, which includes all elements in the fight against illegal migration, improving the effectiveness of the EU return policy and seeking new solutions,” she added. Addressing the situation in the Middle East, the Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the need for sufficient guarantees for Israel's security and for effective assistance to the Palestinian population.

The ministers also discussed EU-UK relations. They identified foreign policy, defense and security, youth mobility, maintaining the status quo regarding fishing rights for member states, migration, energy and climate as topics of mutual interest.

The Council discussed the synthesis report on Council contributions to the 2025 European Semester and heard the presentation by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU on the updated roadmap for 2025.

The Council also adopted a Joint Declaration on the EU's legislative priorities for 2025, which sets out the main priorities of European institutions in legislature.