site.bta Bulgaria, United States Confirm Their Strategic Partnership

Bulgaria, United States Confirm Their Strategic Partnership


Sofia, January 15 (BTA) - Meeting in Sofia on Thursday,
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev and US Secretary of State
John Kerry expressed their shared view that Bulgaria and the US
are strategic partners. They noted that the two nations are
willing to invigorate their bilateral cooperation by placing
particular emphasis on economic ties, energy security, the rule
of law, and security affairs, the President's Press Secretariat
reported.

Plevneliev said Bulgaria's public institutions are well aware
that improving the capacity of the public administration and
reforming the judicial system are the mechanisms which can allow
 them to regain the confidence of civil society and attract more
 investment. The President expects 2015 to be "the year of
reforms" in Bulgaria as the public institutions address existing
 problems in the energy sector, the pension system, and health
care.

Bulgaria and all Southeastern Europe are working for more
connectivity and integration in the field of energy in order to
overcome existing dependencies regarding the supply of energy
resources, Plevneliev said. The building of interconnectors
between the natural gas transmission networks of Bulgaria and
its neighbours and the implementation of the projects relevant
to the Southern Gas Corridor will help improve regional energy
stability and provide more natural gas for Europe, he said.

Plevneliev thanked Kerry for the US government's consistent
support for the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces and
the improvement of their interoperability with the Armed Forces
of NATO. He said Bulgaria will work to honour the commitments
assumed at the September 2014 NATO Summit in Wales concerning
the need to spend more money on national defence capabilities.

The President went on to say that by developing its
high-technology sector, Bulgaria can specialize in cybersecurity
 within NATO. He updated the US Secretary of State on the
Programme "Bulgaria in NATO and in European Defence 2020" and on
 projects aimed to reduce the country's dependence on a single
arms supplier.

Plevneliev and Kerry discussed the risks and threats arising
from the geopolitical instability in this part of the world and
mapped out measures to enhance their cooperation in handling
terrorist threats.

Kerry reiterated US President Barack Obama's position that
Washington is firmly behind all allies in NATO vis-а-vis the
situation in Eastern Ukraine, the Bulgarian President's Press
Secretariat reported. The guest praised Bulgaria's contribution
to the peacekeeping and humanitarian operations in Afghanistan
and Iraq and to building NATO's defence potential in the Black
Sea region.

Plevneliev noted that an efficient agreement on the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will allow both
the EU and the US to boost their economic growth and establish
new standards of economic cooperation in the world.

Emerging from a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov,
Kerry said no country should be dependent on another country for
 its energy supplies. Speaking through an interpreter, Kerry
said the US is ready to help Bulgaria, which has made difficult
decisions, to stand up for its future, attract investment, and
draw up a plan for the nation's future in the field of energy.
He said the US government will send an energy expert to Bulgaria
 to assist the Energy Ministry in working out the plan.

Kerry and Borissov discussed ways to enhance energy security in
Bulgaria and Europe. The guest said it is very important to
diversify energy sources and improve energy connectivity between
 neighbouring countries.

The US fully supports Bulgaria's plans to reform its judicial
system, the Secretary of State said.