(From left) Catherine Colonna, Tanja Fajon, Annalena Baerbock, Mariya Gabriel, Luminita Odobescu (BTA/Mariya Gabriel Facebook page photo)
SOFIA, Bulgaria – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel, who was in Toledo on Thursday for the informal meeting of EU Member States foreign affairs ministers, posted on her Facebook page that more women should work in foreign policy in order to encourage young girls who may be considering a career in diplomacy.
Gabriel wrote that this message was supported by her German, French, Romanian and Slovenian counterparts: Annalena Baerbock, Catherine Colonna, Luminita Odobescu and Tanja Fajon.
Earlier Thursday, Gabriel said that her working visit had started with a meeting between foreign ministers, members of the European People's Party.
She expressed gratitude to the chair of the forum Antonio Tajani and to the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister for the warm welcome.
She also praised the foreign ministers of Austria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden for the fruitful discussion.
The agenda included the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in Niger and the Sahel, as well as preparations for the European elections in 2024.
Gabriel met Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, which she called a message of Bulgaria's support and solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
Later, Mariya Gabriel also held bilateral meetings with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, with the German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock and with the Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.
Gabriel expressed gratitude for the strong support of Germany and the Czech Republic for Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area and the Eurozone, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (BTA)
