Bulgaria will be the focus of top diplomats for a week. A Wednesday visit to Sofia was made by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond - the first of its kind in 17 years. Only hours later the US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Sofia, and soon the NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will also arrive here. Among the highlights in the visits are regional security and counter-terrorism in the context of the crisis in Ukraine and the terrorist attack in Paris a week ago.

After his meeting with top British diplomat in Sofia, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has confirmed Bulgaria’s commitment to deepen cooperation between this country and the United Kingdom. In his words, "as allies and partners in the EU and NATO”, we share common values and a lot of common interests. This is the backbone of our relations in the current complicated international and geopolitical situation. Minister Mitov stressed the need to strengthen coordination between the two countries in order to combat all forms of terrorism, including the threat from Islamic State /ISIS/ and other extremist organizations recruiting "foreign fighters". He added:

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in Paris and express sympathy to the French people in this crucial moment for all of us and for Europe now. We express our grave concern at the escalation of violence. No cause can justify terrorism, human deaths and bloodsheds. I introduced my colleague with the measures taken to change the Bulgarian legislation regarding the criminalization of the participation of foreign fighters in ISIS in accordance with the UN resolution. We also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on issues of security in the context of the NATO decisions of Wales and what is happening in Ukraine, as well as important issues for the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership and the Black Sea cooperation."

For his part, the British Foreign Secretary said that with his Bulgarian counterpart they discussed European values in the light of the Russian aggression and changes to the European map adjusted by Russia through military means. Philip Hammond also spoke about Britain’s idea for reform in the EU related to immigration - a huge problem for the country. The theme was an important goal of a long tour of the British Foreign Secretary in EU countries - donors of immigrants. He explained the measures taken by the UK aimed at limiting the social benefits of immigrants from Member States, including Bulgaria.

English Rossitsa Petcova