Prime Minister Rumen Radev said he held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump, during which he raised the issue of lifting visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens traveling to the United States. He said he expects the matter to be examined as a priority. Radev also noted that he had a separate call with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
He pointed to the presence of US Air Force tanker aircraft at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport, describing them as part of cooperation with Bulgaria’s strategic ally. According to him, the aircraft are stationed there following a Cabinet decision under the Zhelyazkov government, with permission to remain until the end of May. He added that he anticipates a possible request from the US side to extend their deployment, which he also discussed during his talks with American officials.
The prime minister also outlined the government’s planned administrative reform, announcing the creation of a Council for Administrative Reform headed by Deputy Prime Minister Galab Donev. He said the aim is to improve efficiency and reduce public spending without triggering large-scale layoffs or weakening administrative capacity.
Radev stressed that any restructuring would be preceded by a detailed review of state institutions. The process, he said, will focus on identifying duplicated functions, outdated structures, and areas that can be digitized or automated. He added that reforms would include merging agencies with overlapping responsibilities, converting some agencies into directorates within ministries, and removing unnecessary intermediary layers, along with reducing vacant positions.
