Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Bestepe Presidential Complex in Ankara on Monday, according to the press office of Turkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), chaired by Erdogan. Radev arrived in the Turkish capital ahead of the NATO Summit scheduled for July 7-8.
First Bilateral Meeting Before NATO Summit
Turkish media noted that this was Erdogan's first bilateral meeting ahead of the NATO Summit. Later on Monday, the Turkish President is also scheduled to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The meeting underscores the strategic importance of Bulgaria-Turkey relations in the context of the upcoming NATO discussions.
Delegations and Key Attendees
The Bulgarian delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Alexander 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 Uraloglu. Upon his arrival in Ankara, Radev was welcomed at the airport by Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat. Bolat wrote on his official social media account that he welcomed Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev to Ankara as the latter arrived in Turkiye for talks with President Erdogan.
Context and Significance
The meeting comes at a critical time as NATO allies prepare to address key security issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and regional stability. Bulgaria and Turkiye share a border and have cooperated on various bilateral and regional matters. The discussions likely covered energy cooperation, trade, and security issues. According to Turkish sources, the talks aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and coordinate positions ahead of the NATO Summit.
