site.btaSeptember 28, 1990: President Zhelyu Zhelev Meets US President George H. W. Bush at White House

On September 28, 1990, Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev conferred with US President George H. W. Bush at the White House during his visit to the United States to take part in the General Debate of the 45th session of the UN General Assembly. This marked the first-ever visit of a Bulgarian head of State to the United States.

At the White House, President Bush welcomed Zhelev, and the historic first meeting between the leaders of the two countries in the entire history of Bulgarian-American relations took place in a constructive and cordial spirit. The two exchanged views and assessments on issues of mutual interest. President Zhelev briefly outlined the current situation and the development of political processes and trends in Bulgaria. He emphasized above all that the country was no longer a communist state. Bulgaria was undergoing serious democratic changes, had established a multi-party system, and already had a democratically elected parliament as well as a democratically elected president, he noted.

It was pointed out that Bulgaria was facing serious economic difficulties and, in its efforts to overcome the crisis, relied on support and economic assistance from the West, particularly from the United States.

The talks acknowledged that the democratic transformations were creating favourable conditions for expanding ties between Bulgaria and the US, and expressed hope for the further deepening of democratic processes in Bulgaria.