The MFA Secretary General, Nagip Skenderi makes an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria
In the meetings, they noted Bulgaria’s strong support up to now for the Republic of Kosovo, since the declaration of independence, when the Republic of Bulgaria was one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo as independent and sovereign; its defense of a position pro-independence at the International Court of Justice at The Hague; and, its continual support in regional initiatives.
In the meeting with his counterpart, the Secretary General, Mr. Nagip Skenderi raised the issue of speeding up the finalizing of bilateral agreements, which are in process, and which will significantly assist in intensifying reciprocal relations. In addition, they talked about the need to exchange concrete experience between the two ministries according to a protocol of cooperation, signed last year, and he informed his Bulgarian counterpart about recent events in Kosovo. In the meeting, he emphasized the need that the Bulgarian state continue with its pragmatic approach and support the Republic of Kosovo in regional initiatives, to which Mr. Sirakov agreed.
In the meeting with Mr. Aleksandar Bakalov, Director of the Department for Neighbor States in the Bulgarian MFA, they discussed bilateral agreements in process and broadly discussed the challenges confronting the MFA of the Republic of Kosovo, in the fields of general administration, implementing specific policies, further consolidation of diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Kosovo and effective management of existing sources and capacities. In the meeting, they also talked about current political developments, after the last round of technical dialogue between Prishtina-Belgrade and asked that the Bulgarian institutions, in regional institutions, use the influence of the Republic of Bulgaria to not allow the conditioning of Kosovo’s participation, outside the framework of agreements reached in Brussels. Mr. Bakalov reconfirmed Bulgaria’s continual support for Kosovo, adding that the Bulgarian MFA is working intensively to finalize bilateral agreements, and to organize the visit of Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi to the Republic of Bulgaria.
The General Secretary, Mr. Nagip Skenderi, accompanied by Mr. Sylë Ukshini, Director for Regional Affairs in MFA, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo in Sofia, held a working meeting with the Director of the Diplomatic Institute in Sofia, Ms. Tanya Mihaylova. During the meeting at the Institute, they praised this institution’s support up to now, through advice and training it has offered to Kosovar diplomatic staff and civil servants in Kosovo. Senior officials from Kosovo informed her about MFA’s current activities with regard to training and building capacities, plans for expansion of diplomatic missions, with the aim of lobbying and achieving the priority, which is raising the number of international recognitions of the country and their continual objective, to have excellent cooperation with the Institute. In the meeting, they explained the decision of the Kosovo Government, to found a Diplomatic Academy of the Republic of Kosovo, in order to build capacities of diplomatic-consular staff and to prepare civil servants in various fields, and the Institute was invited to come on a working visit to Prishtina, to exchange experience and knowledge about founding the Academy. The Diplomatic Institute in Sofia confirmed that it will continue with joint projects supporting the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with pleasure accepted the invitation to come on a working visit to Kosovo at the start of July 2012.
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