Bulgaria and Ukraine Agree to Strengthen Energy and Defense Cooperation
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation focused on energy and defense cooperation
Switzerland is hosting a two-day peace conference focusing on Ukraine at the luxurious alpine resort of Bürgenstock near Lucerne. The conference, titled the "Ukraine Peace Summit," is the first of its kind and will take place today and tomorrow.
French President Emmanuel Macron, US Vice President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are among the notable attendees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also arrived in Switzerland, joining leaders and high-ranking diplomats from nearly 100 countries and organizations worldwide. The Swiss foreign ministry has stated that the summit's goal is to inspire a future peace process and develop practical steps towards achieving it.
The summit follows the recent G7 meeting in southern Italy, where the leading global economies authorized the use of proceeds from frozen Russian assets to provide new aid to Ukraine. Despite the significant gathering, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz cautioned that the conference does not mark the start of peace talks.
Swiss President Viola Amherd emphasized that all participating countries must contribute their ideas and visions for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Over 160 delegations were invited, though Russia was excluded, and China declined participation in solidarity. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed his hope that this inaugural peace summit could establish a format that leads to a just resolution of the conflict.
Bulgaria's Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev is leaving for Switzerland today, where he will participate in the summit on June 15 and 16, the cabinet's press service announced. After the meeting, Dimitar Glavchev leaves for Brussels, where he will participate in the informal meeting of the leaders of the European Union.
Bulgaria participates in four of the relevant working groups of the initiative - on "Food Security", "Energy Security" and "Restoration of Justice", and as a co-chair on "Environmental Security", together with Germany and Finland.
Bulgaria supports the initiative of Switzerland and Ukraine to convene the first Summit for Peace in Ukraine. On this occasion, Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev met with the Ambassador of Ukraine Olesya Ilashchuk and the Ambassador of Switzerland Raymund Furrer.
After the visit to Switzerland, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev leaves for Brussels, where on Monday, he will participate in the informal meeting of the leaders of the European Union. At it, the heads of state and government will discuss institutional issues after the European Parliament elections.
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