Ekaterina Zaharieva: We Are Actively Working against the Anti-Semitism

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva emphasised Bulgaria's role in countering anti-Semitism and intolerance during a meeting with a delegation of the National Coalition Supporting Soviet Jewry (NCSEJ), the Foreign Ministry's press centre reported.

“Bulgaria is proud of being a full member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Our government is active in countering antisemitism, xenophobia and hate speech. We are a tolerant people who have proven over the years that different communities can live in peace and understanding,” Zaharieva told the NCSEJ delegation, led by chairman Daniel Rubin.

Ways to prevent any kind of intolerance were among the main topics of the meeting, with an emphasis on working with young people. The key to prevention is also the immediate response of the institutions to each incident, said Deputy Prime Minister Zaharieva.

Daniel Rubin thanked the Bulgarian Government for the measures it was taking to combat anti-Semitism. "Your actions give us hope - not just for the region, but for Europe as a whole," he said.

The guests emphasized that Bulgaria not only adopted the definition of anti-Semitism in 2017, but also applied it. The same year, the Bulgarian government appointed a national coordinator for the fight against anti-Semitism, Deputy Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, who also attended the meeting.

“We are grateful for the support Bulgaria is giving to the Jewish community. People here for generations feel integrated into society. We especially thank the Bulgarian government for this,” said Mark Levin, NCSEJ chief executive.

Among the topics discussed was the situation in the Balkans, as Minister Zaharieva emphasized Bulgaria's good-neighborly relations with the surrounding countries and the Bulgarian government's efforts to deepen them as a guarantor of security in the region.

The National Coalition in Support of Eurasian Jewry is an American non-governmental organization whose primary function is to support Jews and Jewish communities in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The NCSEJ has been active in the Eastern European and Eurasian region since 1971, works closely with governmental and non-governmental organizations and monitors anti-Semitism in the region.

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