site.btaPM Borissov to Visit Israel, Palestine

Sofia, June 11 (BTA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will pay working visits to the State of Israel and the State of Palestine from June 12 to 14, the Government Information Service said Monday.

In Jerusalem, Borissov will hold meetings with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, and opposition leader Isaac Herzog. On the agenda are bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest, including security and the fight against terrorism, and exchange of opinions on international and regional topics.

In the year marking the 75th anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews, PM Borissov will take part in the plenary session of the American Jewish Congress' Global Forum 2018 and will talk with World Jewish Congress President Roland Lauder.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister and the delegation led by him will be welcomed by Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos III. On the delegation are Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, Education and Science Minister Krassimir Vulchev, Deputy Foreign Minister and national coordinator on combating anti-Semitism Georg Georgiev, and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova. Also to accompany Borissov to Israel are representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Jewish community in Bulgaria.

The delegation will meet with the Bulgarian community in Tel Aviv, where the ensemble of Bulgarian folklore singer Nikolina Chakardakova will give a concert.

In Ramallah, the Bulgarian delegation headed by Borissov will hold talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah about the Middle East Peace Process and the opportunities for broadening the bilateral cooperation.

Ahead of his visit to Israel, the Bulgarian Prime Minister will meet with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in Ismir. The meeting comes in response to the Turkish PM's invitation to Borissov to attend the opening ceremony for the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) in Eskisehir on June 12.