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President Rumen Radev and Turkish Ambassador discuss curbing the energy and economic crisis by bolstering bilateral partnership

The joint effort against cross-border crime and illegal trafficking by the institutions of the two countries was also among the topics of the talks

President Rumen Radev and Turkey's Ambassador Aylin Sekizkok discussed limiting the consequences of the energy and economic crisis by strengthening the bilateral partnership. The two held a meeting today at the Presidency, where they discussed ways to boost cooperation in the economy, energy and security and improve connectivity.  

The Head of State highlighted the significance of Turkey as an important partner of this country in the energy sector, as well as Bulgaria's interest in further expanding the dialogue in this area. Bulgaria is an exporter of electricity to its south-eastern neighbour and new LNG terminals are being built on the territory of Turkey, which could provide alternative energy supplies for the region in the future, it was noted at the meeting. Radev praised the efforts of the Republic of Turkey to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine and minimise the aftereffects of the war for our region.

The sides concurred on the fact that reducing congestion at the border checkpoints along the common border is important not only for the business and citizens of the two countries, but also for the EU. The Bulgarian institutions are fully aware of the importance of this issue and are taking action to resolve it, the President stressed at the meeting.

The joint effort against cross-border crime and illegal human trafficking was also discussed. The increased migratory pressure towards Europe was pointed to, as well as the need for better coordination, sharing of experience and information between the institutions of the two countries, so as to sever illegal channels of organised crime and human trafficking.