site.btaGovernment Publishes Full Text of Joint Statement Signed by PMs of Bulgaria, Ukraine on Feb. 26

The Council of Ministers Thursday published on its website the full text of the Joint Statement signed by Prime Ministers Nikolay Denkov of Bulgaria and Denys Shmyhal of Ukraine in Kyiv on February 26. The document, available in Bulgarian and in English, covers key topics of bilateral cooperation. 

The Joint Statement reads that at the meeting between Denkov and Shmyhal on February 26, the sides emphasized the friendly nature of the relations between Bulgaria and Ukraine as well as the solidarity and mutual assistance between the Bulgarian and Ukrainian people.

The sides confirmed their willingness to strengthen cooperation with the aim to "end the Russian Federation's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and the recovery of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders."

Emphasis was placed on the Bulgarian Government's all-round support to Ukrainian citizens who received temporary asylum in Bulgaria following the all-out armed invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. "Support was expressed for the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the importance was stressed of its implementation as the only realistic plan to restore a full, just and lasting peace in Ukraine," the document reads.

Bulgaria will support Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO and is willing to share its experience and expertise in the negotiation process with the European Union and the implementation of the necessary reforms in the preparation for NATO membership.

Bulgaria is proceeding with the draft of an inclusive national regulatory framework for the effective enforcement of the EU’s restriction measures against Russia. Emphasis was placed on the need to take legal action against the Russian Federation for the international crimes committed in Ukraine or against Ukraine, including compensation for damage caused by such actions. The sides stressed the illegitimacy of Russia's intentions to hold presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories and the non-recognition of the election results by the international community.

"Recognition was given of the important role of the Republic of Bulgaria to strengthen the defence capabilities of Ukraine. Emphasis was placed on the need to invigorate the work within the Ukrainian-Bulgarian Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation, to increase the amount of military-technical assistance to Ukraine, to start joint production of armaments and military equipment," the Joint Statement reads further. The sides reached an agreement on support for the promotion of bilateral cooperation in the joint manufacturing of weapons, equipment and ammunition and on the implementation of the Memorandum of Intent between the two countries' Defence Ministries of October 11, 2023.

The sides also agreed to further develop their cooperation in the restoration of security in the Black Sea region, noting the importance of the Second
Conference on Black Sea Security of the International Crimea Platform, which will take place in Sofia in April 2024.

The sides confirmed their preparedness for active cooperation in the process of Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.

It is important to continue cooperating to ensure the export of Ukraine's agricultural produce, the sides agreed further.

Note was made of the mutual interest to continue the implementation of joint energy projects and to start new projects in the field of renewables, in keeping with the agreements reached in July 2023. An agreement was reached to promote bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, in particular
the connectivity of the power grids of Bulgaria and Ukraine. There is need to exchange experience regarding the discontinued use of Russian nuclear fuel and to cooperate in the field of nuclear energy, especially to upgrade the nuclear power plants’ safety, the sides also agreed.

Bilateral projects and initiatives will be implemented within the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of environmental protection, signed on December 9, 2023.

"Recognition was given of the positive role of the Bulgarian minority in Ukraine as a bridge between the two countries and the two peoples, and of its contribution to the defence of the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the document reads further.

A meeting will be held of the Bulgarian-Ukrainian Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation, it transpires from the Joint Statement.