The countries along the external EU borders such as Bulgaria and Italy need solidarity and active support from their partners vis-à-vis migration. This was the common stance shared by Presidents Rumen Radev and Sergio Mattarella in Riga.  The two were unanimous that without a common European approach this problem will continue to divide the EU member states.

The position of the two Presidents was that Bulgaria and Italy have established  an excellent cooperation and will continue to expand their partnership in the sphere of defense and security. Italy’s contribution to modernizing the Bulgarian Armed Forces was also highlighted.

Sergio Mattarella accepted Rumen Radev’s invitation to visit our country on the occasion of the opening ceremony of an Italian cultural and information center in Bulgaria, it emerged at the meeting. The active cooperation in the sphere of education, science and culture creates the opportunity for a more active exchange of students is also an example of the increasing mutual interest in the two countries’ cultures.

“A lot of young Bulgarians choose to get their university degree and work in Italy, and subsequently their expertise is applied to the development of the ties between the businesses and promotes cultural exchange. They are the real potential for the follow-up development of the relations between Bulgaria and Italy,” Rumen Radev emphasized. The importance of the active bilateral trade was also highlighted, which is worth 4 billion euros and also contributes to cultivating close and friendly relations between Bulgaria and Italy.