site.btaPM Radev Heads to Berlin for Talks with German Chancellor Merz

Prime Minister Rumen Radev will visit Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Government press service said here Monday. Following the official welcome with military honours for the Bulgarian Prime Minister at the Chancellery, Radev and Merz will hold a one-on-one meeting.

A plenary meeting of the two delegations will also be held, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Poulev and Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova, the Government press service said. Talks will focus on bilateral cooperation, European policy and international security.

Radev’s first foreign visit as Prime Minister will be to Germany. The visit underscores the strategic and friendly ties between the two countries and Bulgaria’s intention to strengthen its partnership with Germany, both bilaterally and through multilateral cooperation, particularly within the European Union (EU) and NATO. The high-level meeting will give new impetus to political dialogue and identify opportunities to deepen the partnership, the press service said.

In Brussels on May 11, Petrova told Bulgarian journalists that Radev’s first working visit abroad would be to Berlin. “I think it is important to show that we can pursue an active policy with key partners such as Germany,” she said. Petrova said that in his first week in office, Radev had also received invitations from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Antonio Costa. “We are trying to find a way to arrange all these opportunities,” Petrova said.