President Rosen Plevneliev and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed the state of the EU following Brexit, questions of bilateral trade and economic cooperation and the liberalization of visas for Bulgarian citizens. Plevneliev is in New York to attend the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly.
President Plevneliev and Prime Minister Trudeau established that the question of visa liberalization for Bulgarian citizens remains a priority in bilateral relations. The Bulgarian side will develop a detailed road map for meeting the visa liberalization criteria, which will be put to debate as soon as possible, and the two countries will actively exchange information about the progress of this process, it became evident from the conversation.
The Bulgarian head of State recalled that after the UK's referendum on leaving the EU and amid the number of crises that are happening simultaneously and affecting each other, the European Union needs a new level of integration that can recover public trust in the European project and institutions. He pointed out that Bulgaria encouraged every project that would help deepen the European integration processes, especially with regard to the countries in the Western Balkans.
President Plevneliev and Prime Minister Trudeau exchanged views on topical issues related to the Euro-Atlantic agenda, which exposed the partnership relations between Bulgaria and Canada within the framework of NATO and in the context of the EU-Canada relations.
The trade, economic and investment relationships between Bulgaria and Canada are based on the good political dialogue held at all levels. President Plevneliev outlined the opportunities to increase Canadian investments in Bulgaria and invited Canadian businesses to take advantage of the investment climate in Bulgaria.
During the talk the president pointed out that "Bulgaria is a factor in the region of South-western Europe that encompasses 12 countries with a population of 150 million people, and we have established excellent relations with each country. As a result, Bulgaria has become a strong voice in the EU region."