Deputy PM Ekaterina Zaharieva meets the Foreign Minister of Republic of Korea

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva held talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea Kang Kyung-wha in Madrid in the sidelines of the 14th meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Asia-Europe Forum (ASEM), the press office of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on December 17.

"Bulgaria regards the Republic of Korea as a priority partner in the Asian region and wishes to develop active political and economic relations. Our first bilateral meeting today is an excellent opportunity to consider how we can build upon the results of our Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's visit to Seoul in September this year." said Deputy Prime Minister Zaharieva.

In the context of the dynamic political dialogue between the two countries in the recent years, we should work to deepen trade and economic ties and attract South Korean investments in Bulgaria, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister said.

The Republic of Korea is the 11th largest economy in the world.

"I'm very happy to see you. It was an honour for us to welcome Prime Minister Borissov and sign a number of documents. We now expect that our companies, which had the chance to learn first-hand about investment opportunities in Bulgaria, will express a specific interest in your country,”said Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

Zaharieva supported the efforts made by the Republic of Korea to find a diplomatic solution to the problems on the Korean Peninsula.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister renewed the invitation to President Moon Jae-in to visit Bulgaria. The invitation was extended by the former and the current Bulgarian President and confirmed by Prime Minister Borissov during his visit to Seoul. A Korean President has never visited Bulgaria. Next year, Bulgaria will celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations with South Korea.