The Bulgarian representative in the EU reports the country's readiness to join the Eurozone and expresses concern over the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union, presented the position of our country at a regular meeting of the General Affairs Council, held today in Luxembourg. The meeting was held in view of the upcoming European Council meeting on June 26, which is expected to discuss and adopt conclusions on a wide range of topics, including the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, EU security and defense, external relations, competitiveness and the Western Balkans.

Among the topics on the agenda of the European Council is the accession of Bulgaria to the Eurozone from January 1, 2026. Ambassador Alexandrov emphasized Bulgaria's full readiness to join the Eurozone - in technical, institutional and political terms, which has been confirmed in the convergence reports of the European Commission and the European Central Bank, as well as confirmed by the Eurogroup and the ECOFIN Council at their meetings last week. In this regard, he thanked for the inclusion of this important recognition in the conclusions and expressed confidence that the European Council will support the timely and successful completion of the accession process.

Bulgaria confirmed its consistent support for Ukraine and the collective efforts of the EU to end the Russian aggression. Ambassador Alexandrov supported the calls for a 30-day ceasefire and noted the importance of the ongoing peace negotiations in Istanbul, emphasizing the role of diplomacy in achieving a lasting and fair peace settlement.

On the topic of the Middle East, the Bulgarian representative expressed deep concern about the escalation in relations between Israel and Iran and called for maximum restraint to avoid a regional conflict. He insisted on keeping all communication channels with Israel open, considering the Association Council as an appropriate forum for discussing any bilateral issues, including related to the implementation of the Association Agreement.

Bulgaria welcomed the EU's Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region, with Ambassador Alexandrov expressing expectations for its effective implementation. Our country also supported the EU's new strategies for the Single Market and competitiveness, with an emphasis on the need to simplify regulations and promote small and medium-sized enterprises.

Regarding the Western Balkans, Ambassador Rumen Alexandrov stressed that the accession process is based on the own merits of the candidate countries for EU membership. Regarding the Republic of North Macedonia, he referred to the ongoing negative developments, including serious problems with discrimination and institutional pressure on Bulgarians in the country. Alexandrov noted the decision of the Bulgarian National Assembly of May 30, 2025, which confirms the commitment of our country to the European Consensus of July 2022, unanimously adopted by the EU Council, and stressed that only through its full and effective implementation can the Republic of North Macedonia make progress in the process of European integration.

The Council also discussed the European Semester 2025 package. The majority of Member States supported the special attention paid in the 2025 country-specific recommendations to competitiveness and the link between the Semester and the Competitiveness Compass.