Bulgaria seeks balance in its foreign policy

Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov described the phone conversation between Rumen Radev and Donald Trump as a “new type of dialogue between presidents”. In an interview with Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Ivo Hristov stressed the importance of the visa issue raised during the talks and distinguished the government’s policy from that of the previous administration.

“We were not the ones inviting the planes to Sofia Airport. And you probably heard Marco Rubio a few days ago, who said that the Bulgarian authorities were excellent and said ‘yes’ without even asking what they were being requested for. These are the kinds of relations we inherited”, Ivo Hristov said.

In his words, Bulgaria is now pursuing a balanced and independent foreign policy and speaking on equal footing with Brussels, Berlin, Paris and Washington.

He added that this new approach gives the country greater weight on the international stage. As key examples of defending Bulgaria’s national interest, he pointed to the firm stance on the urgent removal of U.S. visa requirements, as well as the government’s serious concerns over the Mercosur trade agreement, which threatens the competitiveness of domestic producers in the agricultural sector.

Edited by Darina Grigorova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov