site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria and Turkiye to Cooperate to Ensure EU Borders Security, Foreign Affairs Minister Says

Foreign Affairs Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova said at a press conference here on Thursday that Bulgaria and Turkiye will cooperate in order to ensure security on EU's external borders. She stressed that the Bulgarian-Turkish border is one of the most active borders worldwide and that is why both states should make joint efforts to maintain it.

Earlier on Thursday, she met with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria.

Petrova-Chamova also commented that a large part of the technical parameters regarding the contract with Botas fall within the competence of the Energy Ministry. Talks on energy and future cooperation in this area between Bulgaria and Turkiye are multi-layered. Beyond Botas, discussions are being held on the extent to which the capacity with which the two countries will be able to work is increasing, and on the development of new corridors, the Foreign Minister said.

Talks at the political level are aimed at finding all opportunities to expand the partnership in areas of mutual interest and mutual benefit. These opportunities should not be viewed only through the prism of Botas, Petrova-Chamova added.

She said that Bulgaria remains committed to strengthening coordination in combating migration and terrorism, and in countering cross-border crime. Trade, investment and joint infrastructure projects will be encouraged, she added. During the meeting, the two sides confirmed the high level of the ongoing dialogue between their governments, the shared commitment to deepening bilateral relations, and pragmatic cooperation in areas of mutual interest, Petrova-Chamova said. Bulgaria attaches great importance to maintaining predictable and mutually beneficial relations with Turkiye, the Foreign Minister said.

She added that the meeting also focused on energy, trade and economic cooperation, and regional connectivity. These are key to increasing competitiveness, Petrova-Chamova said. In the field of energy, the two sides discussed natural gas supplies, interconnectivity and energy resources, she added.