NEWS

 

 

The Head of State meets with members of the Bulgarian community during his official visit to Portugal

 

Thanks to the Bulgarians in Portugal and their contribution to that country's society, the bond between the two countries and peoples is even stronger. This is what President Rumen Radev told members of the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Portugal, where he was on a formal visit at the invitation of his counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. As a sign of attention to Bulgaria, the President of Portugal honoured the meeting, held at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Lisbon, with his presence.

 

The fact that the Portuguese President is here is not only a gesture towards Bulgaria, but also an expression of the great friendship that binds us, a recognition for the entire Bulgarian community in Portugal, the Bulgarian Head of State said. He pointed out that Rebelo de Sousa was a great friend of Bulgaria. Radev expressed his gratitude to his compatriots in Portugal for promoting the name of the homeland in the best way with their leading role in a number of fields such as science, teaching, medicine, economy, IT, sports and culture. 

 

Rebelo de Sousa said that out of dozens of state visits, only two or three times had the Portuguese President attended a reception given in honour of a foreign President's visit to Portugal. He highlighted the excellent bilateral relations and the friendship on which they were built and thanked the members of the Bulgarian community in Portugal for their contribution to the advancement of the country.

 

According to official data from SEF, Portugal's Immigration and Borders Service, at the end of 2019, the number of long-term Bulgarian residents in Portugal was 6,839. According to unofficial data, their number is much higher, as some of the Bulgarians have already obtained Portuguese citizenship. Their concentration is most significant in and around the capital Lisbon, as well as in the cities with highly developed tourism in the south of Portugal. 

 

Bulgaria is increasingly visible on the German investment map and ever more attractive to German companies, many of which reinvest their profits and export research and development centres to our country. This was stated by President Rumen Radev during a meeting in Sofia with the leadership of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA).

The Bulgarian head of state emphasised the importance of global efforts to counter terrorism, while expressing concern about the escalation of tension in the Middle East following the Israeli air strike on the Qatari capital, Doha. Hundreds of our compatriots live and work in the Qatari capital.

Connectivity between the countries in Southeast Europe is important not only for their economic development, but is also a factor in NATO's collective security in the region, the president emphasises during a meeting with NATO's Deputy Secretary General

President Rumen Radev holds a meeting in Berlin with his counterpart, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier