Justice minister Nikolay Naydenov met Swiss ambassador to Bulgaria Pierre Hagmann and briefed him on the government's priorities for the justice sector, the ministry said.
They discussed changes to the Judiciary Act, the coming election of a new Supreme Judicial Council, planned constitutional changes, anti-corruption steps and the new law on juvenile justice. The minister also listed other tasks: choosing and appointing the new anti-corruption commission, criminal law reform, digital justice and the use of artificial intelligence.
Naydenov thanked Switzerland for its support under the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme. He said the two sides need to work together to prevent and fight corruption better, clarify the rules on conflicts of interest, and build integrity, transparency and accountability in the public sector. The ambassador congratulated the minister on his ambitious programme, the press office said.
Naydenov said juvenile justice reform needs a completely new approach: not only penalties, but also prevention of crimes committed by children and teenagers.
This year marks 110 years since Bulgaria and Switzerland established diplomatic relations.
Earlier in the day, Sofia hosted an international conference marking 35 years since the Constitutional Court was created. Naydenov also spoke there. He said the court's rulings are a compass.
"They are not an obstacle, and I want to dispel any doubts - we will follow this compass and will not stray from its direction. We are learning from the mistakes made before, and we would not want to repeat them," the minister said.