site.btaBulgarian Prime Minister to Turkish President: Bilateral Relations Guarantee Protection of EU’s External Border

Bulgaria’s relations of friendship and partnership with Turkiye, which have been built steadily for decades, are a guarantee for the protection of the two countries’ national borders and the EU’s external border, which can serve as a model for Europe, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, as quoted by the press office of the Council of Ministers in Sofia.

Zhelyazkov and Erdogan talked during the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum in the Turkish seaside city.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister stressed the excellent interaction between the two countries as a key factor in fighting unregulated migration and protecting their common border, which is also an external border of the EU. He expressed his confidence that cooperation in this important domain will continue.

Zhelyazkov drew attention to the upgrading of the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint at Bulgaria’s border with Turkiye, which is considered the world’s largest border checkpoint handling a massive two-way flow of heavy goods vehicles. He said expanding the capacity of the facility is a priority as it will bring economic benefits for both countries. He also spoke of the importance of developing the two other crossings on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, at Lessovo and Malko Tarnovo.

Security in the Black Sea region was another highlight of the discussion between Zhelyazkov and Erdogan. The Bulgarian Prime Minister praised the efficient coordination in setting up the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group.

He noted that in addition to being a neighbour to Bulgaria, Turkiye is an ally in NATO and an important partner in trade and investment, in transport, energy, tourism and the fight against terrorism and organized crime. According to Zhelyazkov, deepening bilateral economic cooperation and trade relations is important for both countries.

He said Bulgaria and Turkiye can cooperate in initiatives for the postwar restoration of Ukraine. As other promising areas of cooperation, he singled out innovation, digital infrastructure, green technology and low carbon energy technology.

The 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum (April 11-13) is taking place under the auspices of Turkish President Erdogan and is hosted by the country’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. It is mottoed “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World” and is focused on redefining the role of diplomacy in addressing regional and global issues.