NEWS

Presidents Rumen Radev and Ueli Maurer Discussed the Prospects for Continuing the Bulgarian-Swiss Program for Cooperation in Bern

Rumen Radev calls on Bulgaria and Switzerland to reinforce the exchange of information in fighting corruption and lifting the banking secrecy in the cases of tax evasion and tax crimes

Presidents Rumen Radev and Ueli Maurer discussed in Bern the prospects for continuing the Bulgarian-Swiss program for cooperation whereby our country receives expert and financial support in spheres such as promoting economic growth and improving labor conditions, social stability, social security, environment protection, rule of law and strengthening the civil society. The Bulgarian Head of State is on an official visit to the Swiss Confederation at the invitation of his Swiss counterpart.

Within the program our country has received 72 million Swiss francs so far under projects that are due to be completed by the end of 2019. President Radev emphasized Bulgaria’s ambition to renew the program and thus reaffirm the results achieved so far. “Particularly important is the success of this program in the spheres of vocational dual training which included thousands of Bulgarian students, a lot of schools and companies,” Rumen Radev said. Vocational training is a factor for curbing youth unemployment, for social integration and for the promotion of a lot of SMEs in different spheres and, during the program’s next period, more funds need to be set aside precisely for education, the Bulgarian President said.

Rumen Radev highlighted our country’s interest in establishing a joint research center in Bulgaria within the program for conducting scientific and laboratory experiments of which both the Bulgarian and the Swiss companies could take advantage. “The establishment of such a center will be beneficial for the businesses not only in Switzerland, but also in Bulgaria so that our researchers and students can remain to work in Bulgaria and the results of their performance can benefit the two countries,” the President said. Switzerland will continue working towards reducing economic and social discrepancies in the enlarged European Union and also in the underdeveloped regions in Bulgaria, Ueli Maurer said, for his part.

The two presidents highly appreciated the cooperation in the security and defense sectors. Rumen Radev called on Bulgaria and Switzerland to reinforce the exchange of information in fighting corruption and lifting the banking secrecy in the cases of tax evasion and tax crimes. The Head of State also emphasized our country’s interest in achieving a closer cooperation between the bank sectors in the two countries and in sharing experience and introducing modern standards for bank supervision in view of Bulgaria’s declared interest in joining the Eurozone in the future. “The efficient fight against corruption is a must if Bulgaria wants to achieve real progress in the process of its European integration,” Rumen Radev was adamant.

President Ueli Maurer highlighted the excellent partnership between the two countries’ armed forces and declared Switzerland’s interest in taking part in the modernization of the Bulgarian army. The partnership in coping with migration and in reforming the European policy on asylum granting were other topics the meeting focused on.

The two presidents noted the rising trend of bilateral trade between Bulgaria and Switzerland, which applies to the tourist sector as well. President Ueli Maurer confirmed Switzerland’s interest in deepening the economic ties between the two countries and increasing the Swiss investments in promising sectors of the Bulgarian economy such as information technologies and outsourcing.

Earlier the Bulgarian President was welcomed with an official ceremony at the Meiringen Air Base. Rumen Radev and Ueli Maurer attended the Alpha Scramble training with FA18 aircraft, a quick response for taking off in the event of an airspace violation.

During his official visit to Switzerland the Bulgarian Head of State is accompanied by his wife Desislava Radeva.