Palestinian cause, trade take forefront at FM’s Bulgaria visit

AMMAN — Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday received Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria. During his visit, Safadi also met with Bulgarian  Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva. 

Safadi conveyed a message from His Majesty King Abdullah to the Bulgarian president on ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation and coordination on regional issues and shared challenges, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Radev and Borissov expressed their gratitude for the Kingdom’s central efforts in sustaining regional security and stability and affirmed their dedication to develop bilateral relations with the Kingdom in various fields.

Talks between Safadi and his Bulgarian counterpart went over increasing economic, trade, tourism and educational cooperation between the two countries.

Safadi and Zakharieva also discussed a number of regional issues with the Palestinian cause at the forefront, in addition to efforts towards a peaceful resolution for the Syrian crisis and the international war on terrorism.

In a joint press conference, Safadi and his counterpart addressed the steps taken to further bilateral cooperation since King Abdullah’s meeting with the Bulgarian president in Amman at the end of last year.

The two ministers pointed to preparations under way for a meeting of the Jordanian-Bulgarian committee for economic and trade cooperation, which will tackle economic, trade and investment cooperation. 

They referred to ongoing efforts to draft agreements needed to create an environment that stimulates trade and economic exchange between the two countries’ private sectors.

Safadi called on Bulgarian private-sector stakeholders to invest in Jordan, citing it as a “gate to the region’s markets”, the statement said. 

Safadi stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, adding that a two-state solution, which ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4 1967, lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the only way to achieve peace. 

The two ministers underlined their agreement on the need for continuous international efforts to combat terrorism.

The Bulgarian foreign minister commended the role of the Aqaba meetings in rallying the efforts of the international community in that regard.

Zakharieva relayed her country’s interest in furthering cooperation with Jordan as a trusted partner of the EU.

Safadi and his counterpart signed an agreement between the two countries on mutually exempting carriers of diplomatic passports from visas for short-term stays.