site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria Sees Kazakhstan as Key Strategic Partner in Central Asia, Says President Radev

Bulgaria sees Kazakhstan as a key strategic partner in Central Asia, and relations between the two countries are based on deep historical ties, mutual trust, and respect between their peoples, said President Rumen Radev at the start of plenary talks between the Bulgarian and Kazakh delegations on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Radev arrived at the Akorda Palace in Astana, where he held talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Radev congratulated President Tokayev for Kazakhstan’s leading role in the region, as well as for his personal leadership and commitment to the stability, security, and prosperity of Central Asia.

“We must fully leverage the geostrategic position of our two countries, which are key elements for connectivity between Asia and Europe,” Radev added.

The potential for cooperation between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan is immense, particularly in areas such as transport, energy, digital connectivity, trade and economic relations, investment, high technologies, the IT sector, artificial intelligence, space, culture, education, and people-to-people exchange, Radev said.

“In today’s geopolitical context, marked by profound challenges and drastic changes affecting all nations, President Tokayev and I share the firm belief that such challenges must be addressed through policies and approaches grounded in the principles of international law and the norms of the UN Charter. Our meeting reaffirms this as the only viable path, based on dialogue, active cooperation, diplomacy, trust, and mutual support," Radev emphasized.

"Today’s meeting is further evidence that our two countries are strongly committed to efforts aimed at promoting stability, sustainability, peace, and prosperity in the critically important regions of Central Asia and Southeast Europe," he added.

On Sunday Radev also visited the National Space Centre in Astana, noting that he was highly impressed by the level of development achieved in Kazakhstan’s space programmes in partnership with European countries.

The two counterparts discussed the potential for cooperation in high technologies and artificial intelligence. According to Radev, both countries have experience and a vision for development, and in many areas these visions align. Kazakhstan’s ambition to build a next-generation supercomputer can benefit from Bulgaria’s decades-long experience in operating such infrastructure. Bulgaria is also one of six EU countries selected by the European Commission to upgrade its supercomputing facilities and develop AI factories to train modern AI models, the Bulgarian head of State explained.

The two presidents also discussed Kazakhstan’s plans to develop nuclear energy capacities. "Bulgaria has over 50 years of experience in the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power facilities. We are ready to cooperate, especially in the training of qualified personnel in this key sector," Radev said.

The two leaders discussed cooperation in education and cultural exchange. "Bulgaria was the first European country to open centers for Kazakh language studies at its universities," Radev noted, expressing gratitude to Tokayev for his support for the Bulgarian community in Kazakhstan.

Radev emphasized the signed Memorandum of Understanding on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. "This corridor reflects our joint ambition to make the most of the strategic geographic positions of both Kazakhstan and Bulgaria along the route connecting Asia and Europe. The potential is enormous, not only for the transport of goods, energy, and digital data, but also for strengthening cultural ties," he said.

The two sides also highlighted the corridor's vast potential for transmitting green energy from Kazakhstan to Europe via Bulgaria.

The two presidents will participate in the Kazakhstan-Bulgaria Business Forum, organized by the Kazakh Invest national company. In Astana, President Radev will also meet with Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov and visit the Astana International Financial Centre.