French Ambassador de Poncins Bids Farewell to Bulgaria

French Ambassador to Bulgaria, Etienne de Poncins, and former Foreign Minister, Solomon Passy (l), during the special press conference, dedicated to the end of De Poncins' term, organized by the Atlantic Club in Sofia. Photo by BGNES

Democracy in Bulgaria is not without flaws, but it is working, the French Ambassador to Bulgaria, Etienne de Poncins believes.

De Poncins gave a special press conference Tuesday, organized by the Atlantic Club in Sofia, dedicated to end of his term as France's top diplomat in Bulgaria, saying he tried to always use the language of diplomacy, but, at the same time, tell the truth.

The Ambassador further pointed out he had followed very closely the rise of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to power, and praised the latter for making the fight against corruption and organized crime a priority since they remain serious challenges for Bulgaria.

De Poncin further stressed on the progress made in the last three years in police work and police operations, but added a lot more needs to be done.

The Ambassador listed among the unresolved issues the still-existing Cooperation and Verification Mechanism imposed on Bulgaria by the EU, the insufficient trade volume between France and Bulgaria, especially compared with neighboring Romania, explaining it with the fact Bulgaria lacks a clear image in France, something investors are very interested in.

The French diplomat, however, pointed out Paris values highly Bulgaria's role as a stability factor on the Balkans; the country is considered a serious and reliable NATO partner, while the close ties with Russia are an advantage from the EU viewpoint.

From Sofia Etienne de Poncins will go to Kenya with responsibility to also oversee Somalia, including the problem with Somali pirates and ship hijackings in the Gulf of Aden.

"Etienne de Poncins was one of those diplomats, who helped Bulgaria and supported its EU accession and its adaptation as a EU member," former Foreign Minister, Solomon Passy, said at the pres conference.

The French Ambassador also received high marks for his role in the release of the Bulgarian medics from Libyan jail.

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