NEWS

At a meeting held in Athens, President Rumen Radev and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed the prospects for the development of a strategic partnership between Bulgaria and Greece, also for promoting mutual investments and cooperation in the security area. The two held a tete-a-tete meeting, which continued for almost an hour, within the Bulgarian Head of State’s visit to Greece. The two shared the stance that the fight against illegal migration, counteracting terrorism and overcoming the challenges security is facing in our region require a common European approach, based on solidarity and shared values. 

 

Both Rumen Radev and Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the energy, transport and digital cohesion in Southeastern Europe is important not only to the region, but also to the EU as a whole. The two discussed the necessary conditions and reforms for modernization and for attracting strategic investors. In this context the Bulgarian President congratulated Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Microsoft’s decision to invest one billion dollars in Greece to build a regional data center hub. This investment is expected to stimulate the opening of tens of thousands of jobs in the country by 2025. Rumen Radev voiced hope that the partnership between the two countries in the areas of IT and digitalization will continue to deepen.

 

President Radev and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also discussed the process of EU enlargement and the Western Balkans’ European prospects. 

 

Statement by Head of State Iliana Iotova

For projects aimed at improving connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye must be viewed as a whole, to be successful, and within the context of closer cooperation in Southeastern Europe. This will bolster both economic development and security in the region, whose strategic importance is growing. This was stated by President Iliana Iotova at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is on a formal visit to Bulgaria.

Albulena Haxhiu expressed her gratitude to President Iotova for Bulgaria’s support on Kosovo’s path toward membership in NATO and the European Union.

Iliana Iotova raised the issue of depopulation in the area along the Bulgarian-Serbian border and highlighted the need for investment to counter the adverse demographic trend.