NEWS

The Head of State: Together with Prime Minister Medvedev We resumed the Top-level Dialogue between Bulgaria and Russia

Rumen Radev Called on the Bulgarian Government to use the positive momentum of his visit to Russia and implement projects of mutual interest
 

The current meeting represents a breakthrough because it resumes the top-level dialogue between Bulgaria and Russia after it was interrupted for a long time.” This is what Head of State Rumen Radev told journalists today in Moscow after his meeting with the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. The meeting between the two continued twice longer than planned and it marked the beginning of the Bulgarian President’s visit to Russia.

“My visit is already producing a result. In the recent weeks, the Bulgarian government has emerged from lethargy with regard to Russia. You know that there are already announcements for the restart of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant Project, which implies Russian participation,” the President said. In the Head of State’s words, although the Bulgarian Energy Minister’s recent visit to Russia is praiseworthy, it is not sufficient.

“First, the Bulgarian government should use in the best possible way the positive momentum of the meeting I am holding with Prime Minister Medvedev and will hold with President Putin tomorrow,” the President called on for. Rumen Radev emphasized that this meeting opens up opportunities for the ministers from the two countries to work. “Therefore I expect, and Prime Minister Medvedev has assumed the commitment to ensure that the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will be held in the autumn, most probably in September, which was previously postponed for years. There we should discuss all specific projects in details and decisions on them should be made respectively,” the President added.

The Head of State further said that the security environment remains complicated and the EU realizes the necessity for direct supplies of natural gas to the EU member states. “Therefore I call on the governments from the two countries to reconsider, together with the European Commission, the opportunity for a direct supply of Russian gas through the Black Sea to Bulgaria,” Rumen Radev said and gave the North Stream project as an example.   

In reply to a question regarding whether the imposed sanctions of the EU on Russia have been discussed at the meeting, the President said that the topic was not commented. However, the sanctions should not be a reason to freeze relations. “After two days the President of France will be here, the country which managed to replace Germany as a top direct investor in the Russian Federation. France’s trade with Russia in the past year was worth 16 billion dollars and Germany’s – about 50 billion euros. We should alone draw the conclusion about the sanctions,” Rumen Radev said. “You know my opinion about the sanctions. But this is a matter of the competence of the European Council, where Bulgaria is represented by the Prime Minister,” Rumen Radev further said.

Rumen Radev told representatives of the media that although there are problems difficult to solve, dialogue should not be avoided. As such President Radev highlighted the license regime for the production of military technology, armaments and spare parts under an agreement between the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and the Soviet Union. In his words, in this respect Bulgaria has its specific interests and as he openly told Prime Minister Medvedev, “the Bulgarian war-industry complex is an important part of the Bulgarian economy.”

“The Russian side has set conditions that are unacceptable for us and Bulgaria should safeguard its interests, “Rumen Radev emphasized. As an example he gave Russia’s requirement that Bulgaria should coordinate in advance with Russia the selling of military equipment and armaments to other countries. “This is unacceptable for us. I clearly explained it to Prime Minister Medvedev. However, this does not mean that dialogue should not be held and that a mutually-beneficial solution should not be found,” the President added.

In Moscow Rumen Radev laid a wreath in front of the monument of the Holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and paid tribute to the heroes from the Pleven epic in the Russo-Turkish Liberation War 1877-1878.

Later the Head of State and his wife will attend the Siegfried opera by Richard Wagner, a production of the Sofia opera and ballet.

In the Bulgarian Embassy in the Russian capital Rumen Radev will meet famous Bulgarian and Russian culture activists and social figures. Tomorrow in Soci the Bulgarian Head of State will meet his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin.