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Rumen Radev: Bulgaria and Italy Share a Friendship which is Proven in the Conditions of Crisis and the Fight against the Spread of the Coronavirus in Europe

The Head of State gave the Foreign Minister of the Italian Republic Luigi di Maio a personal message to President Segio Mattarella

Bulgaria and Italy share a friendship which is proven in the conditions of crisis and the fight against the spread of the coronavirus in Europe. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a meeting with Luigi di Maio, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic.

“We all saw how the Italian people and institutions faced unprecedented challenges and showed how the public should pool efforts to overcome the crisis,” the Head of State said. “During the current pandemic we had the opportunity to see who really are our friends and I would say that Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people occupy the first place,” Luigi di Maio said.

The meeting focused on the bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and Italy in economy, energy, tourism and education. President Radev reiterated his call for an even distribution of the scientific and educational infrastructure in the EU, as the most secure guarantee for sustainable cohesion in Europe. In the Head of State’s words, the EU funds absorption cannot have a long-term effect without investments in human resources. Our country expects active assistance on the part of the European Commission for establishing an International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in Southeastern Europe.

Rumen Radev and Luigi di Maio shared the stance that the coronavirus pandemic gives the EU the opportunity to speed up the development processes in the Community, related to more investments in the education of young people. The Italian foreign minister also highlighted the role of the newly-established Next Generation EU fund and drew the attention to the necessity of displaying solidarity with the countries most affected by the pandemic. 

The two shared the stance that the active exchange in economy and investments promotes the bilateral partnership in a lot of other areas as well. The Italian business shows an increasing interest in Bulgaria and the opportunity to implement joint projects with Bulgarian partners, Luigi di Maio said.

Italy’s model of successfully fighting top-level corruption can be used as an example in Europe, Rumen Radev emphasized.  Luigi di Maio said, for his part, that the anti-corruption law in Italy reflects the country’s 30-year experience in fighting corruption and is based on the expertise of judges and police officials.

The President voiced his gratitude for Italy’s consistent support for Bulgaria’s accession to OECD, and also for deepening the process of European integration.

President Rumen Radev sent a personal message to his counterpart the President of the Italian Republic Segio Mattarella through Luigi di Maio.