Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is looking forward to strengthened cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria following his talks with senior government officials in both countries.

During his visit to Romania on 21 and 22 February, the Secretary General urged the Romanian authorities to find a speedy solution to the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on restitution and compensation of property nationalised during the communist regime. The Secretary General discussed reforms to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, enhancing democratic standards and the challenges of multiculturalism.

Similar themes were addressed during the Secretary General’s visit to Bulgaria on 23 February, where he noted the government’s role in encouraging dialogue and regional cooperation during a meeting with the President Georgi Parvanov. Jagland underlined the need for both countries to strengthen their efforts to fight corruption as the most important task in consolidating the rule of law based on democratic values. Photo: Thorbjørn Jagland and Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria