Public Lecture on the Challenges to Foreign Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria

Foreign policy has a serious presence in our university. There is a speciality International Relations and lots of people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) have graduated our speciality National and Regional Security. There is also an internship programme Career UNWE providing better chances for professional realization of our students. The lecturer from the UNWE Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Spasov is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to UN, OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna. What we do on the International Nuclear Security Programme is also part of the foreign policy.

These were the words Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Head of the National and Regional Security Department and Dean of the Economics of Infrastructure Faculty opened the public lecture by Mr. Georg Georgiev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The topic of the event was Challenges to Foreign Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria and it was organized by the National and Regional Security Department.

Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov (on the right) and Mr. Georg Georgiev

Mr. Georgiev examined several aspects of the Bulgarian foreign policy over the last years. He defined the Presidency of the Council of the EU as a serious success for Bulgaria. We had an objective to set up our priorities to the EU and the way the issues should be solved – very long, difficult and labour-intensive process, commented the lecturer. The most difficult task for the MFA was the enlargement of the EU without new destructive processes and without turning the West Balkans into a real powder keg. Although our EU partners  were skeptic in the beginning the fact that the issue is discussed by the Austrian and the Romanian Presidency is encouraging, pointed out the Deputy Minister.

Right after the EU Presidency the initiative “16 + 1” was started including 16 countries from Europe and China. It has an objective to create a platform for communication and cooperation between them. Bulgaria is especially active in that initiative, declared Mr. Georgiev.

The lecturer spoke also about the American visas for Bulgarians. Our country has observed all the conditions except the percent of the refused visas but it doesn`t depend only on us, emphasized Mr. Georgiev.

As an external EU boundary Bulgaria has done its job very well by building the boundary fence and stopping the migratory flow. Our country is stable and it is noticed also by our foreign partners, pointed out the Deputy Minister Georgiev.

After the lecture the Deputy Minister answered the questions by students.