Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of NATO Summit

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today at the Beştepe Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital, according to the press office of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), of which Erdoğan is also chairman. The Bulgarian Prime Minister arrived in Ankara for the NATO Summit taking place on 7 and 8 July.

Turkish media note that this is the first meeting President Erdoğan is holding ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit. Later today, the Turkish President is also scheduled to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The Bulgarian delegation attending the meeting with the Turkish President also included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Aleksandar Pulev, Minister of Energy Iva Petrova, and Minister of Transport Georgi Peev. The Turkish side was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

Upon his arrival in Ankara, Rumen Radev was welcomed at the airport by Turkey's Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat.

"I welcomed Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Ankara as he arrived in our country to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan", the Turkish Minister of Trade wrote on his official social media profile.

The Bulgarian delegation also discussed bilateral relations with Minister Bolat.

"We are determined to build on the relations between Turkey and Bulgaria, which are based on strong good-neighbourly ties, mutual trust and shared benefits, and to further strengthen our cooperation in all areas, with particular emphasis on trade, investment, transport and energy," Ömer Bolat said.

He stressed that the two countries would continue their joint efforts to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region.