Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georg Georgiev, had a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on April 3. The two met during the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

Georgiev and Rubio discussed the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the U.S., focusing on important steps to deepen cooperation in defence and nuclear energy. Minister Georgiev highlighted the achievements in modernising the Bulgarian Armed Forces in partnership with the U.S., specifically the acquisition of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, the first of which landed in Bulgaria yesterday. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister also emphasised joint projects for acquiring new Stryker infantry fighting vehicles and Javelin anti-tank missiles.

The strategic importance of the agreement with the US company Westinghouse on the diversification of nuclear fuel for the Kozloduy nuclear power plant was also among the topics of the talks between Georgiev and Rubio. The two agreed that deepening cooperation in defence and energy are priority objectives on the bilateral agenda between the two countries and within NATO. Georg Georgiev and Marco Rubio confirmed that they would continue their dialogue, including through a visit of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister to Washington.