site.btaPresident Radev: Bulgaria-Azerbaijan Relations Are Key to Stability in Black Sea Region

Relations at the highest level are a solid basis for the development of bilateral relations, not only in the interest of Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, but also for strengthening the stability of the Caucasus and the Black Sea region, for strengthening Europe's energy security, said President Rumen Radev in a statement for the media in Baku. The President is visiting Azerbaijan at the invitation of his counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

Earlier on Wednesday, the two presidents held a one-on-one session and signed a number of documents of mutual interest for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are bound by traditional friendship, understanding and mutual trust. An expression of these relations is the strategic dialogue at the highest political level, Radev noted.

He noted that Azerbaijan has become a key partner of Bulgaria in the field of energy and has made a significant contribution to the diversification of gas supplies to the Bulgarian economy. The President recalled that in the autumn of 2022 in Sofia, in the presence of President Aliyev, the operation of the gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria was launched into operation, which connects the Southern Gas Corridor with Central and Eastern Europe.

He also noted the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Solidarity Ring to combine the efforts and capabilities of the gas transmission operators of Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and SOCAR for the transmission of additional gas quantities from Azerbaijan.

The relations between governments at the business level and between municipalities have deepened to promote trade and economic partnership, develop connectivity in all its dimensions – energy, transport, digital, exchange in high technologies and innovations, in green policies, in the field of education, science, culture and tourism, Radev said.

Radev said that the signed declaration on strengthening the cooperation between the two countries is an expression of the potential and mutual desire and political will of the two countries to continue to develop excellent relations.

"With President Aliyev we share the conviction that we have a common interest in taking advantage of the geostrategic position of our two countries not only in energy but also in transport and digital connectivity," Radev said. "Through the development of this connectivity, we contribute to the security and stability of the entire region, to the exchange between Asia and Europe. The Middle Corridor is our priority," Radev added. He noted that talks are also ongoing to unify customs tariffs to ease the increasing traffic. The agreement signed on Wednesday for joint operation between Bulgaria Air and the Azerbaijani national air carrier for the resumption of the Sofia-Baku-Sofia line, which will start in June this year, was important, Radev said.

Radev noted that the agreement between SOCAR and Asarel Investment is also important because this is another step in deepening Bulgaria's energy cooperation and gasification.

Of an upcoming UN climate conference, Radev said that Bulgaria is ready to provide any kind of expert assistance for the coordination of this event.

Some of the Bulgarian companies already offer ready-made constructive solutions to help Azerbaijan develop its leading role in the region as a country that develops green high technologies for environmental protection, Radev said. He cited as an example the joint venture for processing and utilization of waste oils, for the utilization of building materials, as well as the possibility of Azerbaijan becoming a hub of a cargo drone supply network.