Justice Minister Krum Zarkov met with the newly appointed US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten

Bulgaria’s caretaker Minister of Justice, Krum Zarkov, on May 11, met with the newly appointed US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten. The two discussed the draft laws submitted by the Council of Ministers, including the draft regulating the mechanism for investigating the Prosecutor General, as well as the reform of the anti-corruption commission.

At the meeting, it was underlined that the implementation of the commitments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, depend to a large extent on their adoption, the Ministry of Justice said.

Caretaker Minister of Justice, Krum Zarkov, stressed to his guest the excellent relations between the two countries and expressed confidence that Bulgaria and the US will continue the traditionally good dialogue and cooperation in mutual interest.

It is noted that the Ministry of Justice has also drafted amendments to the Criminal Code, which propose to make online piracy a criminal offence.

The bill, drafted by a broad group of experts under the leadership of Deputy Minister Maria Pavlova, responds to criticisms at our country in relation to Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act regarding the protection of intellectual property, particularly in the area of online piracy, the ministry said. The texts were submitted to the National Assembly for consideration on 24 April after the Council of Ministers approved them.

Minister Zarkov also noted the great importance that the government attaches to our country's participation in the Summit for Democracy, as well as the regional conference organized by Bulgaria on the topic of "Anticorruption and National Security".