Radio Bulgaria

The governments of Bulgaria and Turkey had a joint sitting on March 20 in Ankara. Bulgarian minister of economy, energy and tourism resigned a few days earlier and his institution had a key role in the preparation and conducting of the talks. The planned two-day sitting was carried out in a single day, but was still carried out due to the important moment in bilateral relations.

Several recent circumstances caused a warming of political connections. The Bulgarian Parliament condemned during this term the forceful renaming of ethnic Turks during the regime of communist leader Todor Zhivkov and then refused to recognize Armenian Genocide – a step that was highly appreciated by Turkey. The decision of this country’s government that Turkish citizens with Schengen visas will cross Bulgaria without a visa regime as of March 2 2012 was also positively accepted. Turkey is the third major export market for Bulgarian companies after Germany and Romania and it takes 8.52 percent of their overall export. Over 300 Bulgarian companies work in Turkey, while the Turkish ones in this country are over 3,000. The huge Turkish market is really interesting to Bulgarians, especially due to the fact that during the crisis in the Eurozone last year the economy of our southern neighbor registered a growth of 7.5 percent. Turkish businessmen on the other hand find this country particularly attractive, since it provides access to the enormous European market.

The strong mutual interest for development of relations found its expression in the signing of 17 bilateral documents. Those envisage acceleration of the linking of both countries’ gas pipeline systems, organization of international railway-ferry connection between different ports, cooperation in the spheres of information and communication technologies, along with mutual protection and exchange of classified information in the area of military industry. Contracts were signed between the Bulgarian News Agency and the Anadolu Agency, also between the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation and Bulgaria’s National Radio and TV. A Cooperation Program in the sphere of protection of immovable cultural heritage /a particularly sensitive topic/ was signed too.

Foreign Ministers of both countries used the sitting for the spreading of several important messages, related to the situation in the region and international security. Nikolay Mladenov and Ahmet Davutoglu stated that both Bulgaria and Turkey supported the strive of Arab peoples for freedom and democracy. They appealed for international efforts for immediate ceasing of bloodshed in Syria and also for a dialogue and transition to democracy in this Arab country. They also said they were ready to cooperate in the building of the anti-missile defense system and the operation in Afghanistan. The two ministers expressed their support for the new government in Sarajevo in its reforms, regarding the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina in its European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

A new framework for management of the processes between both countries was created at the joint session of the Turkish and Bulgarian governments. Bearing in mind the strategic character of bilateral relations, PM Borissov and his counterpart Erdogan signed a joint political declaration for the establishment of a Council for High-Level Cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkey. Observers commented that currently Bulgaria was the only one of the 10 neighboring countries of Turkey that it didn’t have problems with, despite this year’s 100th anniversary from the Balkan wars.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev