site.btaBulgaria and Oman Discuss Direct Sofia-Muscat Flights and AI Partnerships

Foreign Ministers Georg Georgiev of Bulgaria and Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi of Oman met in New York during the General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Georgiev's ministry reported on Thursday. Held on the initiative of the Omani side, the meeting was part of an increasingly active political dialogue between the two countries, which began with the historic visit of Minister Al Busaidi to Bulgaria this past July.

The two foreign ministers discussed concrete steps to deepen bilateral relations and cooperation in sectors of mutual interest — energy, trade, investment, innovation, education, and culture. Particular emphasis was placed on the possibility of opening a Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Oman's capital Muscat and the upcoming first round of bilateral political consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Muscat on September 30.

During the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Diplomatic Institute under the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman. The document lays the foundation for a systematic exchange of experience and expertise in diplomatic training.

Georgiev highlighted the significance of the upward trend in relations between Bulgaria and Oman and the prospect of strengthening ties further through a state visit by the Sultan of Oman to Bulgaria.

Other key points in the discussion included:

• Identification of mechanisms to expand trade and economic cooperation;

• Potential for establishing a direct air link between Sofia and Muscat;

• Opportunities for partnership in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, including through the BgGPT project and future cooperation on the OmanGPT initiative.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry highly values the constructive spirit of the meeting and regards it as a strong impetus to further develop bilateral partnership with Oman in a spirit of trust, respect, and shared interest, the press release said.