site.btaItalian President Sergio Mattarella to Pay Two-Day Official Visit to Bulgaria

President Sergio Mattarella of Italy will pay a two-day official visit to Bulgaria on April 17 and 18 at the invitation of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, the Press Secretariat of the head of State said.

The talks will focus on the development of bilateral relations in the economy, defence, improvement of regional transport connectivity, science, culture and education, as well as cooperation within the European Union and NATO, the statement added.

President Mattarella and his daughter Laura will be welcomed with a formal ceremony by their hosts, President and Mrs Radev, at 3:45 pm in St Alexander Nevsky Square, where the official guest will pay tribute at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier.

The two heads of State will hold a one-to-one session, after which the plenary talks between the official delegations will take place. At 5:35 pm Radev and Mattarella will make joint statements to the media in the Armorial Hall of the Administration of the President.

On April 18, the Presidents of Bulgaria and Italy will visit the Novo Selo Training Area (Southeastern Bulgaria), where they will be welcomed with a guard of honour by the NATO Multinational Battlegroup. Radev and Mattarella will be familiarized with the mission and activities of the unit, of which Italy assumed the role of a Framework Nation in October 2022. The two Presidents will meet with the Bulgarian and Italian contingents. Italy is represented by the 6th Bersaglieri Regiment of Trapani, commanded by Colonel Michelangelo Genchi.

On March 1, 2022, the Forward Land Forces Battlegroup Bulgaria (FLFBG) was established with Bulgaria as Host Nation and tasked with enhancing NATO's vigilance and reinforcing its defence posture. The Battlegroup declared its initial operational capability on March 4.