Bulgaria and Greece are external EU borders and should follow a common approach to reform the policy of the Union to cope with the migratory pressure towards Europe. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister Nikolaos Dendias, who is visiting Bulgaria. This is the minister’s first visit to Bulgaria after he took office on 9 July 2019.

The relations between the two countries are a proof that a strategic partnership can be built in the Balkans in the spirit of mutual trust and strong economic, political and cultural ties can be established, the Head of State emphasized. Nikolaos Dendias, for his part, highlighted the excellent partnership between Bulgaria and Greece within the EU, and also the two countries’ contribution to strengthening the regional stability and security.

The two shared the opinion that deepening the connectivity between Bulgaria and Greece creates conditions for promoting trade, tourism, mutual investments. “I strongly hope that we will create the necessary conditions to this end – not only development of the transport connectivity, the energy connectivity, but also the opportunity for people to communicate more freely and frequently,” the Bulgarian Head of State added. In Rumen Radev’s words, increasing the capacity of the existing border check-points and speeding up opening new ones, as is the one between Rudozem and Xanthi, will stimulate tourism and develop the economic relations.

The Head of State noted the strong spiritual ties and cooperation in the sphere of culture between Bulgaria and Greece. A lot of European programs offer opportunities for a follow-up development of the scientific and educational exchange.  

At the meeting Nikolaos Dendias voiced greetings to the Bulgarian Head of State from his counterpart President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and also from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The Bulgarian Head of State said that the forthcoming marking of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2020 will provide a chance for new meetings and a follow-up strengthening of the top-level dialogue between Bulgaria and Greece.