NEWS

President Rosen Plevneliev is visiting Afghanistan

Bulgaria can build a hospital in Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul and the Afghan side is ready to provide space for it. This emerged during a meeting between President Rosen Plevneliev and the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. President Plevneliev is on a working visit to the Asian country. The two heads of state discussed possibilities to carry out bilateral business initiatives, of which building the hospita is one of the ideas. President Plevneliev said that in recent months, there had been increased interest among Bulgarian companies to develop business contacts and trade and economic relations with Afghanistan. He expressed readiness to assist with the encouragement of Bulgarian companies to work more closely with Afghanistan.

The Presidents of Bulgaria and Afghanistan discussed the contribution of the Bulgarian contingent in Kabul and Kandahar towards security in the country.

Also discussed was educating young Afghan diplomats and students. Afghanistan is interested in training its students in medicine, architecture and all engineering fields. President Plevneliev committed the presidential institution to assist in the implementation and development of this idea. President Karzai accepted an invitation from President Plevneliev to visit Bulgaria shortly.

The role of NATO and the Bulgarian contingent in Afghanistan was the main topic at a meeting with the head of a parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker of the House of Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Abdul Rauf Ibrahim. President Plevneliev confirmed the long-term commitment to Afghanistan in accordance with the strategy adopted for transforming Bulgaria’s military participation in ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). The Afghan side expressed gratitude for the work of the Bulgarian contingent. At the same time, the representatives of Parliament expressed concern about the fate of the country after 2014. In this regard, they count on NATO to continue to help Afghanistan after that date, as they also rely on the support of Bulgaria to prevent the failure of democratic processes and in maintaining security in the region.

President Rosen Plevneliev said that Bulgaria understood the stage that Afghanistan was passing through and expressed Bulgaria’s willingness to help with the experience that it had gained in the transition process. Afghan parliamentary delegation noted its good contacts with the Bulgarian Parliament and expressed hope that they would continue at the level of friendship groups between the two countries.

During the meeting, co-operation against illegal drug trafficking and migrants was discussed, as well as the state of bilateral treaty relations.

Plevneliev President is visit the Bulgarian contingent in Afghanistan, and will be accompanied by Defence Minister Anyu Angelov.