The invitation to have an audience with Queen Elizabeth II is a sign of friendly relations between Bulgaria and Great Britain both countries work toward developing. This was reaffirmed at this audience, President Rumen Radev said, after a meeting with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The audience continued about 40 minutes and the second half was also attended by the Head of State’s wife Desislava Radeva.

The President said that the atmosphere at the meeting was warm and cordial and Queen Elizabeth II showed a keen interest in Bulgaria’s history and culture. “Bulgaria and Great Britain enjoy a strategic partnership, an excellent political dialogue, an active cooperation in a lot of spheres,” the Head of State emphasized.

Rumen Radev invited Queen Elizabeth II to visit Bulgaria, she or a member of the royal family, on the occasion of the 140^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Great Britain, which we will mark next year. Hopefully Queen Elizabeth will have the opportunity to come to our country and get acquainted with our rich history, the centuries-old cultural traditions of our people, which can be seen both in the British Museum and the British Library, the President said.

After the audience, taking a journalist’s question, the Head of State told the Bulgarian journalists that the relations between the EU and Great Britain are important for both countries and they share the common goal of preserving and developing close relations. “Protecting the rights of the citizens of both countries should be top priority,” the President, who is on a working visit in the UK, told Bulgarian journalists in London.