site.btaHealth Minister Meets WHO Europe Director and Georgia’s Minister for Internally Displaced Persons on Sidelines of UN General Assembly

Health Minister Silvi Kirilov held a brief meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge, the Health Ministry’s press office reported on Thursday.

The meeting took place during a side event focused on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), held as part of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Kirilov and Kluge highlighted the excellent cooperation between the WHO Regional Office for Europe and Bulgaria’s Health Ministry. They also emphasized the important agenda of the upcoming 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, scheduled for late October 2025.

Minister Kirilov also held a working meeting with Mikheil Sarjveladze, Georgia’s Minister for Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health, and Social Affairs. During the talks, the Georgian side expressed interest in initiating mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, including the exchange of best practices and experience in implementing European health standards, as well as strengthening ties between the medical universities of both countries.

Kirilov welcomed the invitation to visit Tbilisi and stressed the importance of academic exchange as a foundation for sustainable partnership.

According to the Ministry’s press office, both meetings were held in a constructive spirit and confirmed the potential for expanding cooperation in the field of healthcare at both regional and bilateral levels.

The 80th anniversary session of the UN General Assembly opened on September 9 in New York. The Assembly is the main deliberative body of the United Nations and a central platform for global diplomacy. Delegations from all 193 UN member states attend this year’s session. Bulgaria’s delegation is led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and includes Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, and Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov.