BG

PRIME MINISTER BORISSOV MET WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI

23.10.2018

Egypt is among the stable trading partners for Bulgaria in the Middle East and on the African continent. It is of common interest to work for an even greater intensification of the bilateral dialogue in the field of trade and the economy. This was stated by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at his meeting in Cairo with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

 

Prime Minister Borissov pointed out that the trade between Bulgaria and Egypt is steadily increasing, and last year exceeded 1 billion USD. At the same time, according to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, there is still untapped potential and our country is making efforts to stimulate cooperation further. Prime Minister Borissov noted the need to identify steps to take advantage of the opportunities for expanding the investments. According to him, it would be a good development to consider the renewal of the work of the Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

 

The Prime Minister focused on the energy field as another area, where our country wants deepening of the dialogue. Prime Minister Borissov pointed out that for Bulgaria, Egypt is a potential supplier of natural gas and we are interested in joining the gas project between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus. Deepening bilateral cooperation could also be pursued in agriculture, transport, and tourism.

 

The Prime Minister also noted that Bulgaria sees Egypt as a key player for attaining stability in the Middle East and Africa - an issue that, according to Borissov, concerns both the national security of Bulgaria and the processes in Europe. The Prime Minister also said that the fight against terrorism, extremism, and radicalization is a common cause for Bulgaria and Egypt. He added that our country is interested in developing bilateral relations in the areas of law enforcement, counter-terrorism, the fight against cross-border organized crime, and trafficking in human beings.

 

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed gratitude for the hospitality. He also stated his confidence that after the meeting with the Egyptian President at the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly last month and the current visit to Cairo, the constructive dialogue will continue to be of bilateral and regional importance for both sides.