site.btaUPDATED PM Zhelyazkov Meets with Austrian Federal Chancellor Stocker
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov met with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker here on Thursday. At the meeting, Zhelyazkov offered his and the Bulgarian Government's condolences on the tragedy in the Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday.
The Bulgarian head of government arrived on a two-day official visit to Austria earlier in the day at Stocker's invitation. He visited the chapel in the Federal Chancellery's courtyard and lit a candle in memory of the victims. The Bulgarian Prime Minister also wrote a message in the condolence book.
After Prime Minister Zhelyazkov's talks with Chancellor Stocker, a plenary meeting of the two delegations took place. The talks focused on deepening political and economic relations, as well as topical issues on the European agenda.
Speaking to media after the bilateral meeting with Stocker, Zhelyazkov said that Austria fully supports Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area.
"There are no outstanding bilateral issues between Bulgaria and Austria. Our discussions focused on matters within the European context. Both our countries are members of the European Union, but Austria is not a member of NATO. In discussing the architecture of security, we approached the topic through the lens of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy, especially in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine. We also touched on the need for Europe to build its own defence capacity by strengthening the competitiveness of its industrial base,” Zhelyazkov said.
The Prime Minister also announced that Stocker is expected to visit Bulgaria at the end of July or the beginning of August. The visit will offer an opportunity for Austria to observe first-hand Bulgaria’s efforts in protecting the EU’s external borders.
/MT/
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