site.btaForeign Minister Georgiev Confers with Georgian Counterpart Maka Botchorishvili

Bulgaria and Georgia share a long history of traditionally excellent relations, close friendship, and fruitful cooperation between the countries and their peoples, said Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev at a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Maka Botchorishvili here on Tuesday. They met on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry reported Wednesday.

Minister Georgiev expressed disappointment at the Georgian authorities' decision to suspend negotiations on the country's EU membership until 2028, especially given the strong support of Georgian society for the country's accession to the Union. “Bulgaria remains ready to lend a hand to Georgia when and if the country decides to take the necessary steps towards restoring its European course and moving towards EU accession,” Georgiev said. “We believe that the Georgian people's choice for Europe is strong and clear and that they belong to a united Europe,” Georgiev underscored.

During the conversation, emphasis was also placed on economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. "Bulgaria and Georgia have very good economic relations. We are pleased that our country ranks among Georgia's ten largest trading partners. Georgia is an important economic and strategic partner for us," Georgiev said.

The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Georgia also discussed opportunities for further deepening economic cooperation between the two countries, infrastructure connectivity between Europe and Asia, and the implementation of projects of common interest in the fields of energy, transport, and communications.

During the conversation, the important role of Georgia for security and stability in the Black Sea region was emphasized, including in the current complex geopolitical context. “Bulgaria is also interested in maintaining security and stability in the South Caucasus and the wider Black Sea region, especially in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Georgiev stressed. He also stated that Bulgaria firmly supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.