President Aoun meets Bulgarian leaders in Sofia, calls for stronger bilateral ties

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun continued his official visit to Bulgaria, where he met Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Parliament Speaker Rositsa Kirova-Natzaryan in Sofia.

During his meeting with Zhelyazkov, the Bulgarian premier expressed his country’s support for Lebanon and praised Aoun’s efforts to find political solutions to the current challenges.

President Aoun stressed the importance of enhancing bilateral relations, noting that several agreements signed years ago need to be reactivated or updated. 

He expressed hope to expand cooperation, particularly in military, educational, cultural, and information technology fields.

Aoun also called for the resumption of direct flights between Beirut and Sofia, suggesting that a Bulgarian delegation visit Beirut to assess the necessary steps to restore the air route.

He added that “a stable and secure Lebanon contributes to Europe’s stability and prevents potential security and social disruptions.”

Discussing the southern border situation, Aoun accused Israel of continuing to violate U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and of maintaining its occupation of Lebanese land.

The Lebanese president also outlined his government’s economic and financial reforms.

In a separate meeting at the Bulgarian Parliament, Speaker Natzaryan welcomed Aoun, saying his visit would strengthen ties between the two nations. 

She noted the presence of a 14-member Lebanese-Bulgarian parliamentary friendship committee and called for activating it to boost cooperation.

Natzaryan also supported the reestablishment of direct flights between Beirut and Sofia and expressed readiness to cooperate with Lebanon in the ongoing investigation into the ship that carried the ammonium nitrate responsible for the 2020 Beirut Port explosion. 

She said Bulgarian authorities are open to allowing Lebanese judicial participation virtually and will respond to Lebanon’s legal requests to uncover the full truth.