NEWS

Rosen Plevneliev: We will not allow the terrorist act in Burgas to stand in the way of friendly relations between Bulgaria and Israel

We will not allow the terrorist act at Burgas airport to stand in the way of friendly relations between Bulgaria and Israel, President Rosen Plevneliev said at a meeting with Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, who is on a working visit to Bulgaria. “Together, in the spirit of our strategic partnership, we will find and prosecute the perpetrators, wherever they are located,” the President said. He called for strengthening of cooperation between the two countries in all fields, including security, defence and intelligence. “We will meet the challenges together, further strengthen our friendship and strategic partnership,” the President said.

In the second half of October, the Bulgarian Head of State will pay an official visit to Israel and in September, the two Governments will meet together for the second time. President Plevneliev and Minister Misezhnikov underlined the strategic partnership between the two countries, the need to enhance relationships at all levels and in both countries in priority areas such as tourism, agriculture, technology and security and defence.

“Terrorism has no boundaries and can strike anywhere,” Minister Misezhnikov said during the meeting. It was clear that Bulgaria remains a preferred destination for trips by Israeli citizens, notwithstanding the incident in Sarafovo. “What’s more - we will discuss opportunities for increasing flow of tourists to Bulgaria,” he said. “The intention of terrorists to weaken the link between the Bulgarian and Israeli people will fail and our relations will deepen further,” Minister Misezhnikov said. He expressed gratitude for the personal commitment of the Bulgarian Head of State to the victims and those injured in the attack in Burgas and praised the work of the Bulgarian rescuers, firefighters and police officers. “Special thanks to Bulgarian doctors who helped Israeli tourists who were injured to return to their homeland, well on the way to recovery,” Minister Misezhnikov said.

Minister Misezhnikov said that the people of Israel would never forget the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during World War 2 and expressed gratitude to President Rosen Plevneliev for his personal initiative to celebrate next year the anniversary of the historic act by the Bulgarian people.

During his visit to Bulgaria, Minister Misezhnikov is being accompanied by leading representatives of the Israeli tourism industry. “Israeli tour operators will do everything necessary to ensure that terrorist act does not overshadow the good friendship that we have,” the President of the Association of Israeli travel agencies, Yossi Fatael, said during the meeting.

President Plevneliev and Minister Misezhnikov again expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims of the attack in Burgas and both expressed the hope that those injured in the terrorist attack would recover soon.