CAIRO, March 3 (MENA) - Bulgaria's ambassador in Cairo Dejan Katrachev affirmed his country's commitment to raising cooperation with Egypt to the highest level to reflect the nature of strategic cooperation between Egypt and the European Union (EU) after raising their relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership.

He noted that the past year witnessed great momentum in relations between the two countries.

In an exclusive interview with MENA Monday, on the occasion of the celebration of Bulgaria's National Day, the Bulgarian ambassador said an excellent political dialogue was maintained at the highest level with Egypt in 2024, referring to an official visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel to Cairo last February, accompanied by five ministers, in the first visit of its kind in 12 years, pointing out that the Bulgarian minister participated in the opening session of the Joint Committee for Cooperation.

The session witnessed the signing of three important cooperation agreements in areas of strategic importance, including fields of natural gas and defense, as well as an agreement on mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

Katrachev affirmed his country's commitment to holding the next session of the Joint Cooperation Committee in (Sofia) and the next round of political consultations in (Cairo), stressing that these meetings constitute a solid basis in preparation for President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s visit to Bulgaria; figuring high on the top of the bilateral agenda.

The Bulgarian ambassador said that new Bulgarian Foreign Minister George Georgiev recently held a phone contact with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty as the two sides confirmed their keenness on further deepening active political dialogue at all levels, especially within the framework of the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2026.

It was also agreed to hold a meeting in the near future and exchange invitations for bilateral visits, Katrachev said.

Regarding economic cooperation, he noted that “The year 2024 was the most successful year for bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as Egypt's position as a leading and prominent trading partner for Bulgaria in the Middle East and North Africa region was heightened, with volume of bilateral trade rising to unprecedented levels, reaching dlrs 1.8 billion, an increase of about 41% compared to 2023, including dlrs 378 million in Egyptian exports to Sofia.

The Bulgarian ambassador said he is looking forward of having Cairo and Sofia further develop their fruitful cooperation, thus becoming regional centers for energy, transportation, innovation and investment and to establish mutual gateways for their businesses targeting markets in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Meantime, he highlighted areas of cooperation covering fields of energy, renewable energy - including green hydrogen - the automobile industry and chemical industries, pharmaceuticals and silo construction; being among the most important and promising areas.

Katrachev explained that the opening session of the joint committee witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, also a MoU was being mulled between the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy on cooperation in the field of energy.

As for the situation in Gaza, the Bulgarian ambassador voiced appreciation of Egypt’s role as a stabilizing factor in the region, along with Egypt's strenuous efforts in this regard, especially with a view to restoring calm in Gaza, preventing tension spilling over to region and implementing the two ceasefire agreements - in coordination with Qatar and the US, along with facilitating flow of humanitarian aid and release of all hostages. (MENA)

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