Multilateral cooperation is a key tool for achieving common goals, especially when participants interact on an equal footing. This idea was emphasized by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov at the opening of the Fourth Forum of Prosecutors General from the Balkan countries in Sofia. The atmosphere in the hall was tense, with anticipation and interest in the upcoming discussions.
This meeting reflects the significance of international cooperation, especially in the field of effective law enforcement, in a region with a rich history and complex political and social dynamics - the Balkans. Prime Minister Zhelyazkov noted that the Balkans are a cradle of turbulence and challenges, but also a place of significant opportunities. These circumstances create both prerequisites for success and challenges to effective law enforcement. "When I speak of law enforcement, it is clear that positive law is that guarantee under which the rules of conduct must be applied in the best possible way," Zhelyazkov said.
He continued, emphasizing that the Balkans have often been divided by various factors, most notably borders. Zhelyazkov pointed out that borders are sometimes a fiction, and at other times they serve for containment or law enforcement, which may contradict understandings of a natural evolutionary path for development.
The Fourth Forum of Prosecutors General from the Balkan countries brings together heads of prosecutors' offices from across the Southeastern European region, as well as partner institutions from the European Union at the highest level. The forum is held on the initiative of the Prosecutors General of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Turkey. The first such meeting took place in 2019 in Izmir. Sofia is hosting the forum for the second time. The aim of the forum is to maintain stable partnerships and interaction between prosecutors' offices from the Balkan countries in a number of areas, including criminal law issues, the fight against cross-border organized crime, and illegal migration.