site.btaVice President, French Ambassador Discuss Challenges Facing EU

At a meeting here on Friday, Vice President Iliana Iotova and the new French Ambassador to Bulgaria, Marie Dumoulin, discussed the challenges facing the European Union and the need for joint and coordinated action among Member States to overcome them, the head of State's press office reported.

The Vice President emphasized the need for enhanced common industrial development and greater autonomy in security and defence policy.

The war in Ukraine was also discussed, with Ambassador Dumoulin stating that France highly appreciates Bulgaria's role in maintaining security in the Black Sea region.

Iotova and Dumoulin also discussed the negotiations on the European Union's Multiannual Financial Framework, with the general consensus being that increasing defence and security funding should not come at the expense of cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy.

At the meeting, the Vice President highlighted the French proposal from 2022, which became the common EU position on the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to the EU. In order to start negotiations for EU accession, the Republic of North Macedonia must fulfill its commitments by including Bulgarians in its Constitution. According to Iotova, the enlargement of the Union is a serious act that cannot be undertaken solely for political reasons at the expense of unfulfilled commitments. Ambassador Dumoulin expressed France's firm position that the compromise reached must be implemented.

The Vice President and the Ambassador also discussed the high level of contacts between Bulgaria and France in all areas, focusing on the economy and the interest of French entrepreneurs in Bulgaria, as well as cooperation in the field of rail transport and energy.

The sides also discussed the closure by the Francophone University Agency of the activities of the Specialized Management and Administration Institute of La Francophonie (ESFAM) in Sofia, established in 1994. Its closure is a violation of the trilateral agreement between the Bulgarian government, the International Organisation of La Francophonie and the Francophone University Agency. The Vice President confirmed Bulgaria's commitment to the presence of ESFAM in Bulgaria and expressed hope for cooperation from the French state to resume its activities. For her part, the French Ambassador highlighted Bulgaria's important role in the International Organisation of La Francophonie, of which it has been a full member for over 30 years.

Iotova and Dumoulin also commented on the need for more confident steps to implement the French-supported project for the construction of a cultural centre on the island of St. St. Cyricus and Julitta in Sozopol (on the Black Sea).