14.02.2024
Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel met with lord David Cameron, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, in the Council of Ministers. “We discussed with David Cameron who is a person with enormous experience and with a tremendous insight into political developments globally, Europe-wide and in the Balkan Peninsula, issues of mutual interest with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine and migration problems,” Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov said at the joint briefing of the three. The Prime Minister stated that a focus of the meeting, inter alia, was the role of the war in Ukraine and the support that must be provided. “We share the opinion that the Ukrainian troops are fighting for the future of Europe and this is not a national cause but a cause that will predetermine historical developments in Europe and globally in the years and decades to come,” Acad. Nikolai Denkov said further.
The Prime Minister noted that talks with lord David Cameron were extremely useful and could have long-term positive consequences regarding some of the ideas that had been discussed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel likewise thanked her British counterpart for the constructive discussion. She reiterated that Bulgaria and the United Kingdom are strategic partners and allies within NATO and added that the two countries cherish shared values and together seek solutions to global and regional challenges. Mariya Gabriel highlighted the continuation of joint support for Ukraine as a focus of the meeting. “It is financial, military, humanitarian, diplomatic and political support and will continue as long as it is necessary,” the Deputy Prime Minister said firmly. She noted that Bulgaria highly values the cooperation between the two countries in the form of completed joint operations, joint teams to investigate and combat illegal migration, cybercrime and trafficking in human beings, in addition to the UK support for Bulgaria’s membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
For his part, David Cameron underscored that Bulgaria is an important NATO ally and an economic partner of the United Kingdom. “We discussed staunch support for Ukraine which fights illegal war. There is nothing that is more crucial for the sake of global and European security. Bulgaria shows its solidarity, like the United Kingdom, to support to fight off this aggression. We have economic, military and diplomatic strengths. The only thing needed now is political will on the part of the countries that support Ukraine,” lord David Cameron said further. The UK Foreign Secretary congratulated Bulgaria on its effort to diversify energy supplies and to move away from Russian gas.
