site.btaSecurity, Energy, Bilateral Relations Top Agenda of Meetings of Visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan with Bulgarian President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister

December 15 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov
conferred with US visiting Deputy Secretary of State John
Sullivan, the government's information service said on Saturday.
 Security, energy, investments and the bilateral relations were
high on the agenda of the talks.

Borissov offered assurance that Bulgaria fully implements its
commitments to NATO. The Prime Minister re-affirmed the increase
 of defence spending to two per cent of the Gross Domestic
Product by 2024, as well as earmarking more investment in
armament and equipment.

Sullivan relayed a message to Borissov from US President Donald
Trump about the significance to the United States of the
friendly relations and partnership with Bulgaria and the high
marks of these relations.

Borissov and the guest also conferred about energy security and
the cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States in this
area.

Borissov familiarized Sullivan with the progress of the works on
 the gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece, with
Bulgaria's ambition to retain its role in the transit of natural
 gas, and the revived project for a nuclear power plant at
Belene.

Borissov said that Bulgaria pursues a policy aimed at ensuring
its energy security and the energy security of the EU. This
country also works actively for energy diversification and for
the implementation of the gas interconnector projects with its
neighbours.

On Saturday Sullivan also conferred with President Rumen Radev.
The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador here Eric Rubin.
The talks focused on the strategic partnership between Bulgaria
and the United States, and the development of the bilateral
cooperation, Radev's press secretariat said.

Radev expressed Bulgaria's interest in expanding the economic
exchange with and increasing the US investments in sectors with
high added value. The President said that Bulgaria has gained a
name of a regional technological leader and an attractive
destination for more and more experts and technological
companies from the region and Europe.

Radev also said that Bulgaria strives to develop as a regional
energy hub in Southeast Europe. He said that the real
diversification provided by the gas interconnectors with
Bulgaria's neighbours, along with the direct deliveries of
energy resources, increase the energy security and reduce
prices, which matches the interests of the country and of the
EU.

The participants in the talks also discussed opportunities for
expanding the bilateral cooperation in the development of
potential energy sources.

Sullivan gave high marks for the bilateral cooperation in the
area of the defence and security and for the contribution of the
 Bulgarian servicemen in NATO.

The President noted the considerable international interest,
including that of the United States, in the process of the
modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces. Radev said that
Bulgaria wants to have strategic partnership with the future
supplier and exchange of training programmes, and is seeking the
 most advantageous proposal on the basis of equality,
competitiveness, transparency, and compliance with the selection
 criteria laid down by the Defence Ministry and the National
Assembly.

Sullivan also conferred with Defence Minister Krassimir
Karakachanov, the Defence Ministry said. On the agenda of the
talks were issues of the bilateral cooperation, strategic
partnership and regional security. RY/ZH