Ban Thanks Parvanov for Bulgaria's Support for UN Reform

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) welcomed by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov in Sofia. Photo by BGNES

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has thanked Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov for Bulgaria's support for the thorough reform of the global organization.

Parvanov welcomed Ban on the second day of the latter's visit in Bulgaria after on Thursday the UN Secretary-General met with Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov and delivered a keynote lecture.

The topics of discussion between the UN head and the Bulgarian President on Friday included the UN Millennium Development Goals, the cooperation between the UN and UNESCO, one of the most important UN agencies which is currently headed by Bulgarian Irina Bokova, the developments in North Africa and the Middle East, the problems of nuclear safety.

Bulgarian President Parvanov has restated Bulgaria's position in support of Ban Ki-moon's efforts for the creation of "one UN", i.e. coordination of the activities of all UN-affiliated organizations, funds, and programs.

Ban underscored the determination of the global organization to realize the UN Millennium Development Goals, and especially to support the least developed countries.

As in his statements in Sofia on Thursday, during his meeting with the President, Ban praised Bulgaria's growing commitments as a donor in UN projects.

The UN head further commended the Bulgarian Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova, stressing the role of UNESCO for encouraging inter-cultural dialogue, tolerance, democracy, and freedom of media in the Middle East. Ban spoke highly of Parvanov's international initiative "Cultural Corridors" which started in 2005 focusing on inter-cultural dialogue.

Ban and Parvanov expressed a joint position that the peoples in North Africa and the Middle East must not be subject to the import of democracy but need efficient solutions to their problems provided by the international community.

The UN Secretary-General invited Bulgaria's head of state to take part in the UN summit on nuclear safety in New York City in September. 

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