site.btaUPDATED Foreign Minister Gabriel Pays Official Visit to Egypt

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel is paying an official visit to Egypt on Saturday. This is the first visit to Cairo by a Bulgarian chief diplomat in nearly 12 years. The visit is aimed at developing and deepening cooperation with a focus on trade and economic relations in energy, transport, defence, innovation, tourism and the food industry.

Defence Minister Todor Tagarev, Energy Minister Rumen Radev, Economy and Industry Minister Bogdan Bogdanov, Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov and Innovation and Growth Minister Milena Stoycheva are on the Bulgarian delegation.

Egypt is a key partner to Bulgaria in the Middle East and North Africa. Cairo has a partnership agreement with the EU and takes part in the Mediterranean Dialogue with NATO.

During the visit, the Bulgarian delegation will be shown round the New Administrative Capital. Gabriel will meet with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and will hold a one-to-one meeting with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Several bilateral memorandums will be signed and the Joint Cooperation Commission chaired by the two countries' chief diplomats will hold its first meeting. It was set up in 2018 during a visit to Sofia by Foreign Minister Shoukry.

On February 7, the Bulgarian cabinet endorsed a new Agreement on Merchant Shipping with Egypt, which is expected to be signed by Gvozdeykov on Saturday. The new intergovernmental instrument supersedes an agreement which has been in force since 1969. It will contribute to an increase in maritime transport and will deepen cooperation between the two countries

Also on that date, the cabinet approved an Agreement with Egypt waiving short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports. Lifting those visa requirements will boost political dialogue and business contacts.

Gabriel is also expected to meet with Bulgarians resident in Egypt.

The 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Egypt will be marked in 2026, which is an occasion to bring cooperation to the level of a strategic partnership, the Foreign Ministry said.