New Envoy Vows to Strengthen Ties Between EU, Georgia

Filip Dimitrov, ex-PM and senior diplomat from Bulgaria, who was named Wednesday as EU's ambassador to Georgia, stated he will work in the best interests of the 27-member Union.

“My task will be to find ways to even out relations between Georgia and EU, ways that can help better assess the situation and to take up more efficient action,” said Dimitrov in an interview for BGNES.

The former PM said that although it is significant that Bulgaria has a representative in EU's new External Action Service, each of the diplomats will be representing the whole EU and its foreign policy, and not his or her country of origin.

He further added that a lot of things are to be determined and specified regarding the inter- and intra-institutional workings of the European External Action Service and that he is eager to take up his new job.

In an interview for Europe.bg Dimitrov said he had around 1,000 competitors for the position of EU ambassador to Georgia, which were narrowed down to about 425 and then to four finalists, including himself, fellow Bulgarian Stefan Tafrov, a Latvian and a Danish national.

Georgia, along with other post-Soviet and non-EU Eastern European states, is part of EU's Eastern Partnership. It has signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU in 1999 and in July started negotiations for an Association Agreement.

The country has EU-membership aspirations and is of strategic relevance to the Union in view of the importance of the Black Sea region. In 2008 Georgia entered into a war with Russia over South Ossetia.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!