site.btaUPDATED Lebanese President Highlights Security Cooperation as Lebanon and Bulgaria Mark 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced, following his meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, that the two countries have agreed on practical steps toward establishing a regular flight connection between Beirut and Sofia. The two top officials made joint statements to the media after their talks.

President Aoun is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of President Radev. 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 head of State’s press secretariat announced.

"We have instructed the foreign ministers of Lebanon and Bulgaria to draft a memorandum of understanding between our two countries," the Lebanese president said.

"We 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.

Hundreds of Lebanese have graduated in Bulgaria, many of whom are now Bulgarian citizens. "We are proud to learn that our Lebanese sons wear the Bulgarian jersey in various sports competitions," Aoun added.

According to him, in 2018, trade exchange was too modest to reach EUR 175 million today. "We must make sure that we decisively change these figures," he added.

"We had the opportunity to emphasize the importance of cooperation in the field of the judiciary between our two countries," the Lebanese president said.

Joseph Aoun was elected President by the Lebanese Parliament on January 9, 2025. Aoun's election as Lebanon's head of State ended a vacuum that had lasted more than two years, the presidential post had been vacant since October 2022.