President Radev meets the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, in Strasbourg

Bulgaria highly values its partnership with the Council of Europe in exceptionally important areas such as the rule of law and the protection of human rights, which are among the foundations of civilized society and democracy. This was stated by President Rumen Radev during a meeting in Strasbourg with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, the press office of the Head of State said on December 9.

At the invitation of Alain Berset, the Bulgarian Head of State is visiting the oldest European political organization, founded after World War II, and held consecutive meetings with the Secretary General, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, and visited the European Court of Human Rights.

The Bulgarian Head of State expressed his support for the leadership of the Council of Europe in strengthening the organization’s core functions amidst the numerous challenges facing democracy, such as increasing populism and the radicalization of various social groups in Europe. Rumen Radev also highlighted corruption, the undermining of the rule of law, and violations of human rights, which require unwavering commitment from responsible institutions to effectively counter them.The President pointed to education and the inclusion of young people in the values and principles of democracy as a top priority, which is the greatest advantage of the United Europe.

Bulgaria is part of the efforts of the General Secretariat to profile issues of significant interest for Europe, such as overcoming inequalities and fostering development, as well as addressing systemic and structural problems within our societies, President Rumen Radev further stressed during his talks with Alain Berset.

Photos by the Presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria

During his meeting with the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, the Bulgarian Head of State highlighted the need to prevent new divisions in Europe. This issue is particularly pressing in the region of Southeastern Europe, where distrust, hate speech, and disregard for human rights hinder the development of good neighbourly relations and cooperation. The discussion also covered the integration of the Roma community in Bulgaria, as well as the international community's efforts to protect the rights of people, particularly children affected by the war in Ukraine. Other topics related to Bulgaria's partnership with the Council of Europe were also addressed during the meeting.