site.btaBulgarian President, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern Europe Deepen Talks on Strategic Partnership, Energy, and Security

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Christopher Smith, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern Europe and Policy and Regional Affairs, discussed the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States on Tuesday.

In a post on X, President Radev described the talks as productive, focusing on opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in investments, defence, and energy.

Earlier in the day, during the third session of the Bulgaria–US Strategic Dialogue at the Council of Ministers, Smith emphasized Bulgaria is a key US partner in strengthening security, stability, and economic prosperity in the region.

According to the President’s press secretariat, Radev and Smith shared the view that ensuring regional security and stability is essential for boosting investment, economic growth, and citizens’ prosperity. Radev noted that maintaining strong positive momentum in relations with the United States is a Bulgarian priority, adding that Bulgaria’s strategic geographic location plays a key role in expanding transport, energy, and digital connectivity, creating opportunities for joint projects with US participation.

On energy, Radev said that in the context of the EU’s intention to gradually phase out imports of Russian gas, new prospects are opening for increased supplies of liquefied natural gas from the United States and other countries via terminals in Greece and Turkiye, to which Bulgaria has access. He noted that this could strengthen energy diversification not only for Bulgaria but for other countries in the region as well. Growing demand for energy resources also creates conditions for joint supply bids to help reduce natural gas prices, he added.

Radev stressed that the strategic partnership in the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces should be developed through deeper industrial cooperation with the United States, with active involvement of Bulgaria’s defence industry. He also highlighted the importance of bilateral defence cooperation for modernizing military training models.

The President voiced expectations for increased US investments in information and communication technologies and artificial intelligence, noting that Bulgaria has positioned itself as a regional hub in these fields thanks to a well-trained and highly qualified workforce, the President’s press secretariat said.