NEWS

At a meeting held at the Presidential Institution, Head of State Rumen Radev and the Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, who is visiting Bulgaria, discussed the prospects for the development of Bulgaria's significant tourism potential. 

 

During the talks, the President welcomed the support of the World Tourism Organization for this country and highlighted investments in the sector as a key factor for the development of the economy. Pololikashvili briefed the Head of State on some of the initiatives of the UN World Tourism Organization, among which is the publication of a guidebook for investments in the tourism sector in Bulgaria, which will guide foreign investors interested in the opportunities to invest in the tourism sector in Bulgaria. The sides were unanimous that this country has a significant untapped potential in the field of cultural, culinary and wine tourism, as well as in spa tourism, thanks to the many diverse and quality mineral springs, whose number and flow ranks this country second in Europe in these indicators. 

 

In 2023, this country will have the second largest number of spas in the world. Zurab Pololikashvili was awarded by the Head of State with the Order of SS Cyril and Methodius, first class, for his contribution to the promotion of Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage.

 

Allocating sufficient funds for Bulgaria's security and defence is imperative, and 2.5% of GDP is not a limit that we must reach, but in all likelihood the necessary minimum, the president said after reviewing the analysis of the state and preparation of the Armed Forces in 2024

The numerous crises in Europe's neighbouring regions make increasing investments in the defence and security sphere a necessity, but the capacities of each individual country should also be taken into account as to what percentage of its GDP it can allocate to this, the President stressed during a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference

Rumen Radev underlined the importance of our country's initiative for the transmission of green energy from Azerbaijan to Europe via Turkiye, which is of interest for the whole region during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan within the Munich Security Conference

President Rumen Radev had a meeting with the President of the Autonomous Region of Iraqi Kurdistan (AIRK) Nechirvan Barzani