Lebanese President Pledges to Deepen Cooperation with Bulgaria During Official Visit

UPDATED Lebanese President Pledges to Deepen Cooperation with Bulgaria During Official Visit

Nikolay Zabov, Risida Dimitrova, Metodi Yordanov, Nikolay Trifonov

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (right) and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun make joint statements to the media, Sofia, November 10, 2025 (Photo/Vladimir Shokov)

Sofia,

10.11.2025 16:51 | UPDATED 10.11.2025 20:40

(BTA)

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev welcomed his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria on Monday. The visit comes ahead of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Bulgaria, which will be celebrated next year.

The talks between the two heads of State focused on the prospects for developing bilateral economic and investment cooperation, as well as partnerships in high technologies, innovation, culture, science, education, defence, and security, alongside topics on the regional and international agenda.

After the talks, the two heads of state made joint statements to the media.

Bulgaria can play an important role in the recovery and economic development of Lebanon, Radev said. “We express our readiness to deepen relations in the fields of economy, investment, trade, military, agriculture, and especially in education and culture,” Radev added.

The unprecedented escalation of tensions in the Middle East and the profound changes underway in the region’s security architecture have placed friendly Lebanon at a historic crossroads in its pursuit of political and economic stability, said Radev. “Today’s talks reflect our readiness, as leaders of our two nations, to contribute to deepening our relations, partnership, cooperation, and joint efforts to promote peace and stability in this crucial region for the entire world,” he stated.

Lebanese President Aoun stated that the two sides discussed opportunities for new cooperation in the field of energy. “Bulgaria is known for its great capabilities in the defence industry, as well as in the training of military medics. That is why its willingness to help the Lebanese army is extremely important to us,” Aoun said.

“Our army’s mission is crucial at the moment because it, and it alone, without any partners, must take full responsibility for the security and territorial integrity of our country,” Aoun said. “The only option is for the Israeli army to withdraw from all the positions it continues to control in Lebanon. We have held dozens of negotiations in recent years, the last of which were between 2020 and 2022, when the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel was discussed. This culminated last November, when an agreement was reached to cease attacks, collect all weapons and put them in the hands of the Lebanese state. It is extremely important for us that the Lebanese state succeeds in imposing full control over its territory,” Aoun added.

As part of his official visit, President Aoun conferred with Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, who said that Bulgaria highly appreciates Aoun's efforts and the Lebanese government's resolute steps towards restoring political stability. Zhelyazkov expressed confidence that Aoun's visit will give new impetus to cooperation between Bulgaria and Lebanon.

Aoun also spoke with the National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan. The two discussed the restoration of parliamentary dialogue and the deepening of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Lebanon. Nazaryan said that there are untapped opportunities in economic relations, culture, education, agriculture, among other areas.

Aoun was elected President of Lebanon by the Lebanese Parliament on January 9, ending a more than two-year vacancy in the country’s presidency, which had remained unfilled since October 2022, Reuters and the Associated Press reported at the time.

/RD/

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