site.btaPresident Rumen Radev Meets with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto

On Friday, President Rumen Radev met Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto who is visiting Bulgaria.At the meeting, Radev said that improving regional connectivity is a key condition for energy diversification and increased economic exchange, said the presidential press centre.

The meeting was attended by the caretaker Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov, caretaker Minister Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova, as well as caretaker Minister  of Defence Atanas Zapryanov.

The head of State congratulated Hungary on its successful presidency of the Council of the EU and expressed his gratitude for the country's consistent support for Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area. The general assessment was that the membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Schengen improves the business environment and facilitates economic exchange and tourism throughout the region.

"Hungary is a partner with whom we share deep historical ties and friendly relations, which are a solid foundation for strengthening our cooperation," said Radev. Bilateral trade exceeds EUR 2 billion and both paries expressed interest in its subsequent increase.

The importance of expanding supply chains to Europe, affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, was highlighted, as well as the potential of bilateral cooperation in the field of transport and logistics.  Radev pointed to the actions taken by Bulgaria to expand the capacity of the Kapitan Andreevo - Kapikule border checkpoint for the transport of goods from and to the European Union, and Szijjarto, on his part, expressed Hungary's interest in investing in the Bulgarian Black Sea ports of Varna and Burgas.

In conditions of multiple crises, Europe needs access to secure and constant supplies of energy resources, the participants in the meeting said. In this regard, President Radev noted Bulgaria's active partnership with a number of other countries for increased transmission of natural gas and, in the future, electricity from renewable sources to Europe, which also contributes to the energy diversification and security of our region.

The field of defence was identified as a particularly promising area of ​​bilateral partnership during the meeting. The defence industries of both Bulgaria and Hungary have traditions and experience, which creates excellent prerequisites for cooperation in this area, for joint production and export to third markets.