Bilateral relations between India and Bulgaria will be strengthened, emphasis will be on increasing cooperation in trade and AI.

Sofia, Bulgaria) . To give a new direction to the bilateral relations between India and Bulgaria, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held important meetings with the top leadership of Bulgaria on Wednesday. During this, both the countries discussed in detail on increasing cooperation in areas like trade, investment, defence, semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Jaishankar met Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and also conveyed good wishes on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Emphasis on strengthening strategic partnership

Sharing information on social media after the meeting, Jaishankar said that both the countries have agreed to further deepen the strong bilateral relations. He said that in the current global circumstances, it is extremely important to ‘de-risk and diversify’ the cooperation between India and Bulgaria. Both sides placed special focus on enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, space technology, defence, mobility and tourism.

Discussion on AI and technology also

There were also discussions between the Foreign Minister and the Bulgarian leadership regarding partnership in the field of Artificial Intelligence and modern technology. Both countries agreed to pursue joint efforts in the field of science and technology. Apart from this, education, culture and strengthening people-to-people contacts were also discussed.

Focus on cooperation with EU

Jaishankar said that both the countries also considered new opportunities for cooperation in the context of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He said that India and Bulgaria are committed to transforming their long-standing friendship into a modern and future-oriented partnership.

visited historical heritage

During his visit, S Jaishankar also visited the National Historical Museum of Bulgaria in Sofia. He said that this experience was an important opportunity to understand the rich cultural heritage of the country. This museum houses more than 7 lakh collections of historical heritage dating back more than 8,000 years. After the Bulgaria visit, the External Affairs Minister will now visit Finland, where he will participate in the ‘Kultaranta Dialogue’ and hold important meetings with the Finnish leadership.