site.btaForeign Minister Georgiev During US Visit: Bulgaria's Inclusion in US Visa Waiver Programme Is of Key Importance in Bilateral Dialogue

“Bulgaria's inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Programme remains one of our top priorities and an issue of key importance in the bilateral dialogue between Bulgaria and the US as trusted allies and partners," said Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev during a meeting with Christopher Pratt, Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Planning at the US Department of Homeland Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its website. 

The meeting took place within Georgiev's visit to the United States to participate in the Munich Leaders Summit hosted in Washington. The progress made by Bulgaria in recent months was the focus of the talks between the two, the statement said.  Minister Georgiev stressed Bulgaria's commitment to implement all necessary steps to reach a positive solution as soon as possible. During the talks, Bulgaria's significant progress in meeting the technical criteria for accession to the programme was noted.

Georg Georgiev and Christopher Pratt were unanimous that Bulgaria's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Programme will bring significant benefits for deepening cooperation between the two countries in the economic, security, tourism and other important sectors.

Earlier, Minister Georgiev also met with Andrew Peek, Senior Director for Europe and Eurasia at the National Security Council. At the meeting priority issues on the bilateral agenda were discussed and the commitment to build on the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the US was reaffirmed, the Foreign Ministry said.

"Transatlantic energy cooperation is a pillar of our shared prosperity and security. At a time of deep global uncertainty and intensifying geopolitical competition, our ability to coordinate our energy strategies is more important than ever," said Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev in his remarks at a roundtable on “Power in Action: Advancing Transatlantic Energy Cooperation” on the sidelines of the Munich Leaders' Meeting in Washington.