NEWS

President: Europe's Transition to Zero Carbon Must Be Strong, Energy Efficient and Innovative

Head of State Rumen Radev is on a working visit to Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29)

For Europe's transition to zero carbon to be successful, Europe's economy must be strong, energy efficient and innovative. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a forum held at the Bulgarian Pavilion at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. The COP29 event focused on enhancing the competitiveness of economies in the transition to a climate-neutral economy. During his participation in the global climate conference, the Head of State was accompanied by his wife, Desislava Radeva.

Climate change threatens not only nature, the economy and biodiversity, but also peace and security regionally and globally, Rumen Radev said, highlighting as an example the increasingly frequent extreme weather events - from floods to forest fires and droughts. The Head of State gave the example of the natural calamities in Europe and the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Spain, which led to hundreds of victims. In his words, the critical situation requires decisive and effective action and, above all, attention at both expert and high political level.

Achieving sustainable solutions in the fight against climate change requires the exchange of experiences and the transfer of knowledge, the President stressed, adding that cooperation between countries is crucial for the success of these common efforts and especially for solving the big challenge - how to increase competitiveness in the transition to a climate-neutral economy.

Bulgaria has its own pavilion at the World Climate Forum for the second year running to hold meetings, exchange experiences and ideas and present technological solutions in the fight against climate change. In this context, the President highlighted our country's ambitions to actively participate in climate diplomacy and to contribute effectively to the fight against climate change.

Rumen Radev also said that if 10 years ago it was difficult to imagine the simultaneous achievement of a climate-neutral economy and competitiveness, then today this is possible with the union of political will, science, education, technology and innovation.

The President stressed that the process of transition to zero carbon emissions needs to be sustainable and irreversible. He added that Europe urgently needs ambitious investment in industry and an approach geared towards achievable economic goals. It is crucial that science and innovation are promoted in the process of transition to a climate-neutral economy, because without them this goal is impossible to achieve, the Head of State said, pointing out that the biggest challenge facing Europe today is the development of an industry-led approach that encompasses supply chains in their entirety - from raw materials to finished green products.

In the discussion following the opening of the forum, the Head of State highlighted the importance of nuclear energy also being seen as green in order to make the transition fair for countries that rely on this type of energy production as a baseload. The President stressed that the speed of the transition process towards reducing carbon emissions should be taken into account and it should not disadvantage some countries, but give opportunities for development to all, taking into account the specificities and needs of individual countries.

Among the participants in the event at the Bulgarian pavilion at COP29 were the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, as well as representatives of the leadership of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the European Investment Bank and Juergen Rigterink, First Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with whom the President later held a meeting at the Bulgarian pavilion.

On the first day of his participation in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Head of State Rumen Radev held a number of talks with heads of state and government, as well as with representatives of international organizations - with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, with the President of Poland Andrzej Duda, with the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, with the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, with the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Becirovic and the current Serb member of the Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic. Rumen Radev and his wife Desislava Radeva held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife, Emine Erdogan, as well as with the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic.