Prime Minister Boyko Borissov met with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen, who is on official visit to Bulgaria. They discussed the situation in the Balkans and the prospects for the countries in the region to achieve stability, transport and digital connectivity, and economic growth. The topic is a priority for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and also in the focus of the upcoming Austrian Presidency.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov informed the Austrian President about the meetings with the leaders from the region, as well as about those with the international financial institutions that are committed to the realization of infrastructure projects on the Balkans. The opportunities provided by the Danube Strategy as a tool for promoting the economy and the relations between the countries were also discussed.
Van der Bellen welcomed Bulgaria's efforts in protection of the European Union's external border and keeping migration at zero levels. Prime Minister Borissov highlighted that one reason for maintaining a good dialogue with Turkey is that the migrant agreement remains operational. "This was also the goal of the summit in Varna on March 26, when we agreed to re-start the dialogue and that the migrantion agreement should continue to be implemented," the Bulgarian Prime Minister said.
The Bulgarian Prime Minister and the Austrian President discussed the development of the bilateral trade and economic relations, which they defined as excellent. It was noted that Bulgarian export to Austria has increased by nearly 7% over the past year, while there is good partnership between Bulgarian and Austrian companies in infrastructure and communications.
