08.07.2019
“Peace and dialogue are the best diplomats,” said Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during his meeting with the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The two leaders met in the framework of the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the South-East European Cooperation Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Borissov and Erdoğan discussed the development of the bilateral cooperation and Turkey’s contribution in managing the flow of migrants along the Bulgarian border.
During the conversation, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Borissov emphasized the importance of the sustainable development of the bilateral partnership, which is an integral part of Bulgarian foreign policy. “Turkey is the immediate neighbor of Bulgaria, a NATO ally, and a key partner in the areas of migration, the fight against terrorism, energy supplies and security, transport corridors, agriculture and livestock farming,” underlined Boyko Borissov. The Bulgarian Prime Minister said that our state will continue to follow the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, equality and non-intervention in domestic affairs.
Boyko Borissov and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the activation of the political and economic dialogue between Bulgaria and Turkey, highlighting the development in the areas of tourism, energy, and transport in recent years.
“We appreciate Turkey’s contribution regarding the issue of migration and we support the continuation of the good practices, including the implementation of the joint EU-Turkey statement from 18 March 2016,” said Prime Minister Borissov during the meeting. He was certain that peace and dialogue are the best means of diplomacy for all European states. “The candidate states for EU membership, including Turkey, are our immediate neighbors and we have an interest in building a region of stability, security, and prosperity, in which the values and principles of the EU are guaranteed,” also pointed out the Bulgarian Prime Minister to the Turkish president.
