Rule of law, morals in politics, honesty and contemporary leadership were among the main topics of the lecture of the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Marcie B. Ries. She was a special guest speaker in the panel “30 minutes with….” at the National Program “Governing Skills”. She highlighted the importance of a sound system of values for contemporary leaders and that they have to defend it. “If politicians work to benefit people, the society will be ready to actively participate in the policy making process. If people do not trust politicians, the society becomes apathetic”, added Ambassador Ries. She stressed the need of clear rules to be followed and stated the critical importance of the judicial reforms and the independence of the judiciary.
The topics of discussion with participants were bilateral relations between the United States and Bulgaria, the visit of the Secretary of State John Kerry to Bulgaria, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the United States and its implications for Bulgaria, the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, etc.
Ambassador Ries is a senior Foreign Service Officer with thirty-seven years of experience in Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. A specialist in national security and political military matters, she has worked on important UN and NATO issues, strategic arms control, as well as bilateral relations with Western Europe, the Balkans and Iraq.