Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Beştepe presidential complex in Ankara ahead of the upcoming NATO summit, according to statements released by the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party.
The meeting took place shortly before the NATO gathering scheduled for July 7-8 and was described by Turkish media as the first bilateral engagement held by Erdogan ahead of the summit. Later the same day, the Turkish president was also expected to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Radev was received upon arrival in Ankara by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, who highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries. “We are determined to build on the relations between Turkey and Bulgaria, which are based on strong neighborliness, mutual trust, common benefits, and to bring our relations to the forefront in all areas, emphasizing trade, investment, transport and energy,” Bolat said.
The Bulgarian delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Aleksandar Pulev, Energy Minister Iva Petrova, and Transport Minister Georgi Peev. The Turkish side was represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
