Europe has unfinished business and will not be "whole and complete" until all the countries of the former Yugoslavia are part of the European Union, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 28 2010.
 
"It falls on – those who joined the EU late, not by their own choice, but because of the ideological divisions of the Cold War – to say it loud and clear: to make war impossible in the Balkans we must see all countries that have emerged from former Yugoslavia to be part of the EU. This is our historic mission. It is our destiny," Mladenov said.
 
Bulgaria, which had struggled with its own transition and accession to the EU, knew the benefits and the challenges best, he said.
 
Mladenov commended the UN for approving the joint EU-Serbia resolution on the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on the February 2008 declaration of independence by Kosovo.
 
"Bulgaria supported it wholeheartedly because we firmly believe that dialogue between Belgrade and Priština is key both to the stability of the region but also to their European perspective," he said.
 
Bulgaria would lend all assistance necessary to the efforts of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in this process.
 
Mladenov said that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the international community faced many challenges. The struggle between the fears of yesterday and the opportunities of tomorrow could be resolved by the people of Bosnia themselves, he said.
 
"Bulgaria will more actively than ever contribute to reconciliation…we believe that our role in South East Europe and beyond is to bring people together, not divide them; to seek solutions, not watch from the sidelines," Mladenov said.
 
Humanitarian efforts
 
Mladenov told the UN General Assembly that today, much more than in the past, there was increased demand and pressure on international humanitarian efforts.
 
He praised the work of the UN and its agencies in responding swiftly to the crisis in Haiti, and also paid tribute to all countries, NGOs and individuals that provided financial and in-kind assistance.
 
Mladenov called on all to strengthen their efforts in assisting the people in Pakistan in tackling the humanitarian crisis after the floods.
 
"But I also call on governments across the globe to help in removing barriers that can assist the Pakistan economy in its recovery in the medium term," he said.
 
He reminded that Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Red Cross had launched a nation-wide campaign to raise funds and contribute to the rebuilding efforts
 
Middle East
 
Mladenov called on "all the United Nations of the world" to stand firmly behind the efforts of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to achieve peace.
 
"In doing this we must recognise the legitimate concerns of both sides – Israel’s security and the viability of a Palestinian state," he said.
 
Bulgaria would stand in support of all efforts to achieve reconciliation and advance negotiations, Mladenov said.
 
Nuclear weapons
 
Bulgaria believed that every nation must put a strengthened non-proliferation treaty at the centre of its national diplomacy, Mladenov said.
 
All states parties, including North Korea, must be bound by their non-proliferation treaty obligations and leaving the treaty could not be without consequences, he said.
 
Justified concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme remained. "We call on Iran to deploy the necessary confidence building measures to provide for a greater transparency of its nuclear activities."
 
Mladenov said that Bulgaria believed it important to find a diplomatic solution. The recent attempt by Turkey and Brazil illustrated that there was will in the international community for dialogue, he said.
 
Afghanistan
 
Bulgaria’s commitment to the future of Afghanistan was "unfaltering," Mladenov said.
 
"Because we understand that it is our joint obligation to bring security to this tortured country whose people deserve to be able to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that many of us have."
 
Bulgaria had increased its input to ISAF, including through more training units that will work to build the capacity of the Afghan Security Forces.
 
Bulgaria was contributing to the reinforced the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan, which, jointly with Nato’s Training Mission plays an important role, Mladenov said, adding that Bulgaria supported the Afghan Governmental Program for Peace and Reintegration in which the key role should be played by the Afghan state.