Nine states including Bulgaria will represent the EU at a summit on countering terrorism, to be held in Washington, D.C. this week.

The summit on February 18-19 will draw high-level officials from over 70 countries of the EU, the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia and North America who will discuss ways to prevent marginalised young people from becoming radicalised and joining terrorist organisations.

Bulgaria will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva at the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism announced by US President Obama’s administration in the wake of last month’s terror attacks in Paris that left 17 people dead.

Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK are the other EU states invited to the summit which will be opened by US Secretary of State John Kerry.  

Countering the recruitment of so-called foreign fighters from Europe and the US for joining the ranks of Islamic State militant organization in Syria and Iraq is on the agenda of the summit. The issue is of particular interest to Bulgaria which is a transit country for some of the potential “foreign fighters”.

A ministerial meeting on fighting terrorism will also be held as part of the conference to review ways of efficiently countering radicalisation outside zones of conflict, combating online extremist propaganda and preparing efficient measures to prevent socio-economic exclusion.