site.btaPresident Radev Holds Phone Talks with Palestinian Counterpart Abbas

In a phone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, Bulgarian head of State Rumen Radev said that Bulgaria is following the developments in Gaza and the West Bank with great concern. "Our country strongly condemns the Hamas terrorist attack against the State of Israel on October 7, 2023, as well as any act of terrorism. At the same time, Bulgaria in no way accepts the situation in which thousands of civilians, women and children, are dying and one million people in the Gaza Strip are at risk of a humanitarian catastrophe," Radev said, as quoted by his Press Secretariat.

"Bulgaria is part of the European Council's decision of March 20, 2024, calling for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the provision of humanitarian assistance," the Bulgarian President said.

Radev expressed hope that reason will prevail for the sake of the future of the people of Palestine and Israel and of finding a peaceful solution based on the two-state formula, in keeping with UN Security Council resolutions.

He called on his Palestinian counterpart to support the efforts for the release of the Bulgarian sailors on board the Galaxy Leader ship, which was hijacked off the coast of Yemen in November 2023. President Abbas expressed Palestine's readiness to provide assistance in this regard.

The Palestinian President praised the traditionally friendly relations between Bulgaria and Palestine and Bulgaria's principled position in support of a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East, the release of hostages, ensuring free access to humanitarian aid for the distressed population in Gaza, and seeking a peaceful solution based on the two-state formula.

In early March, Radev held a meeting with the ambassadors of the Arab states in Bulgaria, where he also called for support for the release of the Bulgarian nationals on the Galaxy Leader vessel.