Sofia Hosts SE Regional Conference in Marking Anti-Corruption Day

Bulgaria's Chief Secretary of the Interior, Kalin Georgiev (center), talks with French Ambassador to Bulgaria, Etienne de Poncins (r), during the South Eastern Regional Anti-Corruption Conference in Sofia. Photo by BGNES

Sofia hosts Wednesday and Thursday a South Eastern Europe Regional Anti-Corruption Conference under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The conference titled “Anti-Corruption: Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the Exchange of Good Practices on Improving Anti-Corruption Legislative, Strategic and Institutional Structures to fully Implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption” is organized by Regional Program Office for South Eastern Europe of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Sofia.

The Conference, held at the Boyana Conference Center, brings together Bulgarian government, other international and European organizations, UN and European agencies, World Bank representatives, non-governmental organizations and civil society representatives, and is dedicated to the Anti-Corruption Day, introduced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2003.

The purpose is to discuss anti-corruption practices and experiences in South Eastern Europe and develop policies, strategies and action plans on anti-corruption related matters.

Countries participants include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, FYR of Macedonia, and Serbia including Kosovo under UNSCR 1244

Bulgaria's Chief Secretary of the Interior, Kalin Georgiev, addressed the participants Wednesday in sharing the anti-corruption practices of the Ministry and the new cabinet such as the intensified joint actions between the police, the Prosecutor's Office and the National Agency for State Security (DANS).

Georgiev pointed as example the recent cases of stripping of Members of the Parliament of immunity over alleged involvement in corruption practices.

“There is a lot more to do and there is always more that can be done, but I am satisfied with our current efforts. The Interior no longer conceals corruption,” Georgiev is quoted as saying.

The Conference continues Thursday when experts and participants will divide into three workshops on different areas of anti-corruption: Institutional Break-Out Session, Legislation and Strategies Break-Out Session and Survey and Statistical Analysis Break-Out Session.

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