Bulgarian President Hails Ties With USA

Jun 11, 05:25 AM

Current Headlines: Text of report by Bulgarian Khorizont Radio on 11 June

[Address by Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov at Joint Press Conference With US President Bush in Sofia Archeological Museum on 11 June - live]

Esteemed Mr President, Esteemed Delegation Members, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to outline in a few words the results of the talk we just had with US President George Bush. I must say that his visit is symbolic and provides another proof of the fact that relations between our countries are at their highest level since they were established more than one century ago.

I am glad that we had the opportunity of drawing a balance of what has happened since our last meeting in October 2005 in Washington. This balance is emphatically positive. The United States and Bulgaria continue to be good and serious partners within the framework of NATO and the peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world. This commitment of ours is long-lasting and it is not influenced by ad-hoc considerations and changes in the political leadership.

The second conclusion of our talk is that a new dynamics has developed in our economic relations. We have new or updated contracts, which are stimulating our business contacts. A sharp tendency of increasing the trade exchange and the US investments in Bulgaria is evident. The number of US tourists in Bulgaria is growing. However, we think that this is not the ceiling and that a much greater potential exists. This should prompt us to seek solutions in several directions: First - in presenting a fuller and more realistic image of Bulgaria in the United States. This must include more extensive business information. I hope that the newly created "United States for Bulgaria" Foundation will support efforts in this direction. Second, we hope that soon we will have a positive solution about the visa regime - I mean, alleviating this regime. In this area I highly appreciate everything President Bush is doing personally for this and the talks that are conducted between the United States and the EU. For my part, I can assure you that Bulgaria will do everything possible to implement its commitments in the area of security. Those are important criteria for solving this issue.

I think that it is important to invest efforts in enriching the structure of our trade exchange and investments. I explained to President Bush that a possibility exists for a more active US participation in the major energy projects in Bulgaria and the Balkans, as well as for assuming commitments in the realm of infrastructure. Possibilities exist for cooperating in the field of defence industry. This would be a very stimulus for developing Bulgaria's economy. I believe that we will have the support of President Bush and the United States in effecting a more rapid modernization of our Armed Forces, in order to be able to continue efficiently implementing our commitments as an ally.

I would like to thank President Bush for the support we always enjoyed in our efforts to reach a just solution for our compatriots who have been jailed in Libya -I mean the US support for our efforts to effect their release. I was glad to hear again a confirmation of this support. Simultaneously, we discussed at length the possibilities of our countries -in cooperation with the EU - to contribute to the efforts of treating the Libyan children who have been infected with AIDS as a long-lasting commitment. This could take place through our participation in the international foundation which organizes this process. I drew President Bush's attention to the fact that the Bulgarian public is expecting a greater commitment in this area on the part of the major US companies.

Naturally, we commented on a broad range of international issues, related to the situation in the Balkans and our striving to play a stabilizing role as a security factor in the region. We also commented on issues which are on the agenda of the two countries, NATO, and the EU.

Thank you very much.

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