In Athens Presidents Rumen Radev and Michael Higgins discussed the opportunities for promoting bilateral trade and mutual investments between Bulgaria and the Republic of Ireland. The two held talks within the 15^th summit of the Heads of State of the EU parliamentary republics. The presidents were unanimous that the annual trade worth 240 million euros is below the economic potential of Bulgaria and Ireland.

Information and communication technologies, outsourcing, biotechnologies, ecology and others were highlighted as particularly promising spheres of bilateral partnership. The Irish social model, built on high-quality education, information technologies and innovations with a high added value is an example Bulgaria would like to follow, President Rumen Radev emphasized at the meeting. The Bulgarian Head of State called for increasing the bilateral scientific and educational exchange in informatics and high technologies and highlighted the opportunity for more active absorption of European funding in this sphere.

Among the topics discussed at the meeting between Presidents Rumen Radev and Michael Higgins was also the Republic of Ireland’s active policy for maintaining the contacts with the Irish communities abroad and preserving their cultural traditions.

The Bulgarian Head of State invited his Irish counterpart to visit our country at a time convenient for him.