Press release

UK and Bulgaria to bolster cooperation through signing of new joint declaration

皇冠体育app Foreign Secretary hosts Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel to sign a declaration on a new UK-Bulgaria Strategic Partnership.

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly exchanging joint declaration documents with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel.

  • UK and Bulgaria have signed a joint declaration to expand defence and security ties, tackling Russian disinformation and organised immigration crime
  • comes after agreement announced earlier this month between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov to tackle illegal migration聽
  • Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for cooperation on long-term support to Ukraine and security in the Black Sea region

皇冠体育app UK will tackle illegal migration, serious organised crime and Russian disinformation through a new strategic partnership with Bulgaria.聽

皇冠体育app joint declaration signed by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his counterpart, Mariya Gabriel, in London today (24 October) will drive cooperation on shared challenges facing European countries, including organised crime and Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.聽

皇冠体育app signing follows an agreement announced earlier this month between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov to tackle illegal migration and organised immigration crime with increased intelligence sharing and operational cooperation.聽聽

皇冠体育app UK has stepped up cooperation on law enforcement since 2020, providing training and equipment to the Bulgarian authorities, including customs and border police, to disrupt the operations of criminal networks.聽

皇冠体育app ministers are also expected to discuss the challenging situation in Israel and Gaza and the importance of regional security.聽

皇冠体育app new Joint Declaration on the UK-Bulgaria Strategic Partnership also reflects a shared ambition to further enhance close cooperation, including an increase in academic mobility, R&D and digital trade, as well as boosting links between businesses through the Bulgaria Expansion Bridge, which supports companies to set up in the UK.聽聽

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:聽 聽聽

皇冠体育app UK and Bulgaria are strong friends and partners. From our joint work tackling illegal migration and serious organised crime, to our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. 聽聽

This strategic partnership cements our commitment to strengthening our cooperation in areas like trade, education and technology, which will help to grow both of our economies. 聽聽

During their meeting the foreign ministers emphasised the need to continue to support Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression and restore security in the Black Sea region.聽聽

皇冠体育app UK and Bulgaria have been resolute in their support for Ukraine鈥檚 sovereignty, in the provision of lethal aid to Ukraine, and aligning closely in the implementation of the largest package of sanctions targeted against those supporting the war in Ukraine.聽

皇冠体育app joint declaration demonstrates both countries鈥� commitment to a wide-ranging relationship, building on over 140 years of strong ties. 皇冠体育app foreign ministers also discussed their intention to set up a UK-Bulgaria bilateral forum in the future.

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Updates to this page

Published 24 October 2023