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Presidents Rumen Radev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan: the Fight against the Coronavirus Requires Cooperation and Solidarity

The fight against the coronavirus requires joint efforts, cooperation and solidarity. This was the common stance shared by the Heads of State of Bulgaria and Turkey Rumen Radev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who held a telephone conversation on the initiative of the Turkish president.

President Radev congratulated his Turkish counterpart President Erdogan on the measures taken for fighting the coronavirus and offering social and economic support to the affected, which should alleviate the adverse effects of the crisis. The Bulgarian Head of State voiced his gratitude for the Republic of Turkey’s prompt reaction, which was the first to offer our country medical materials and protective equipment. Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted Turkey’s assistance in evacuating 46 Bulgarians from Morocco.

The two presidents shared the position that in the conditions of the current crisis Bulgaria and Turkey once again proved that they are good friends and neighbors. Rumen Radev thanked for Turkey’s timely decision to let the heavy goods vehicles  cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border without applying the 14-day quarantine period for the drivers, which is important not only for the two countries but also for Europe. President Erdogan called for stopping the recently introduced practice of having the Turkish nationals transiting through Bulgaria inform in advance a diplomatic or consular service about their travel.

The Bulgarian Head of State raised the issue of relieving the transport of Bulgarian nationals with oncological diseases, the life-saving treatment of which is provided in hospitals in the Republic of Turkey. President Erdogan assumed the commitment to raise the issue to be resolved before the line ministries. The Turkish President in turn called for flexibility in and permission for exporting ethanol necessary for the production of disinfectants from Bulgaria to Turkey. President Radev emphasized that at the first opportunity our country will resume, as a priority, the supplies of ethanol to its neighboring country.