The 30th anniversary of accession to the European Convention on Human Rights is an “important milestone in Bulgaria’s European journey”, said Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić in her address to a special conference in Sofia on Tuesday 25 October. What Bulgaria has achieved through the European Convention, over thirty years, “has been far-reaching and positive”, and so has Bulgaria’s contribution to implementing that convention across the European continent, she stressed.
“Over the years, Bulgaria has implemented well over 600 judgments and decisions [of the European Court of Human Rights], as a result, this country’s rules and practice on pre-trial detention have improved; so, too, has the framework around the restitution of property, and there have also been important changes around police use of firearms”, said the Secretary General, illustrating the benefits of the convention for Bulgaria and its people. She spoke about the need to deal with emerging challenges related to human rights and environment, artificial intelligence and warned against the risk of backsliding on what has been achieved, given the rise of extreme populism and nationalism in Europe.
“Europeans deserve better than this”, she concluded. “I look forward to seeing Bulgaria’s contribution to the better future that Europe deserves”.
The agenda of Marija Pejčinović Burić’s visit to Bulgaria also included high-level meetings with the President of the Republic Rumen Radev, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Milkov and the Minister of Justice Krum Zarkov.
