site.btaPresident Rumen Radev, Portuguese Counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa Meet before Arraiolos Group of European Presidents Opening in Porto

The presidents of Bulgaria and Portugal, Rumen Radev and Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, spoke in Porto before the opening of this year's Arraiolos Group of European Presidents, which includes 14 EU member states, said the presidential press service.

The two politicians noted that for 20 years now, the Arraiolos political format has been affirming dialogue at the highest level and building bridges of cooperation and friendship between the European countries participating in this forum. The development of international relations on these principles is of particular importance when Europe is at war. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Arraiolos Group, named after the Portuguese city where the first summit in a similar format took place in 2003.

Both the EU as a whole and the member states are facing many serious problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Russia's war against Ukraine, energy and economic crises, etc. The two presidents agreed that dealing with them requires a long-term responsible vision and consistent decisions based on shared principles. The two discussed challenges facing the EU, as well as on the development of the United Europe.

During the meeting, President Marcelo Rebelo de Souza confirmed Portugal's steady support for Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen Area.