Jeleva Specifies Future Bulgarian Foreign Minister's Qualities

In a lecture to students at the Sofia-based University of National and World Economy, Rumiana Jeleva outlined some of the qualities required of the next Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s acting foreign Minister and EC Commissioner candidate, Rumiana Jeleva, has outlined some of the requirements of the future Bulgarian Foreign Minister.

Besides "smart and handsome", the future foreign minister would need to be "popular, and to enjoy the confidence of the Europeans to be known and accepted,” she said in a lecture on "Bulgaria and the common European way" that she delivered on Monday to students of the Sofia-based University of National and World Economy (UNWE).

Since being nominated for a position as European Commissioner, Jeleva has avoided all questions as to who would take over her ministerial position.

Two weeks ago, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov had said he knew the name of the next minister, but would not announce it before Jeleva was chosen as Commissioner. Borisov had specified only that it would be a man, and the next day Jeleva added that he would need to be "smart and handsome".

Among the names for the post of Foreign Minister mentioned in the media are those of Marin Raykov, MEP from GERB, Andrey Kovachev, and Defense Minister Nikolay Mladenov, who has already denied interest.

“I want to do everything in my power for the next Foreign Minister to find the ‘yard’ in order, the lawn cut, the house tidy, the people calm," Jeleva told the students on Monday. She added that Bulgaria needed strong messages conveyed by strong people to the European Union.

Regarding her future position as a Commissioner, Jeleva said that it was too early to specify priorities. She was concerned “to prepare intensively for the upcoming hearing, the portfolio is a complex mix of three components," she added.

She reminded her audiences that one of the Bulgarian government’s priorities was "to have a far more active and central role in European politics".

Jeleva also listed other foreign policy priorities: the development of good neighborly relations with the countries of the Balkans and Black Sea region; Bulgaria to become a positive example to those countries aspiring to membership of the EU and NATO; the importance of economic activities in foreign relations; and care for the Bulgarian communities abroad.

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