Bulgarian President Rumen Radev expressed his gratitude to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó for Hungary's support for Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area. Radev also congratulated Hungary on its successful presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
Both Radev and Szijjártó agreed that Bulgaria's and Romania's membership in Schengen would improve the business environment and facilitate economic exchange and tourism throughout the region. They emphasized the deep historical ties and friendly relations between Bulgaria and Hungary, which serve as a solid foundation for strengthening their cooperation. Bilateral trade between the two countries exceeds two billion euros, and both expressed interest in increasing it further.
Szijjártó expressed Hungary's interest in investing in the Bulgarian Black Sea ports of Varna and Burgas. They also discussed the issue of access to secure and permanent supplies of energy resources, as well as the bilateral partnership in the field of defense.
Following the presidency, Szijjártó also spoke with Bulgaria's Caretaker Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov. Kondov also expressed gratitude for the support of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU for the abolition of internal border controls.
Their conversation covered current issues on the European and international agenda, including EU enlargement, Russia's war in Ukraine, and transatlantic relations.
Earlier in the day, GERB leader Boyko Borissov spoke with Szijjártó and thanked Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian Presidency for their leadership in the process of Bulgaria's accession to Schengen. Borissov confirmed the excellent level of bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and Hungary and their further development in key sectors such as energy, the economy, and infrastructure.