Joint Press Statement of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania on the first anniversary of the signing of the Joint Political Declaration for a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania
15 March 2024 News
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania express their satisfaction with the increased dynamics and sustained development of the political dialogue and sectoral cooperation between our countries, based on solid historical ties, good neighbourly relations and long lasting people-to-people contacts.
We particularly note the tangible progress achieved during the first year of Strategic Partnership in key areas of connectivity between the two countries, notably in the fields of transport and energy. We remain fully committed to working closely together for the implementation of current and new connectivity projects aimed at strengthening economic development at bilateral and regional level, most notably on building a new bridge connecting Ruse and Giurgiu; continuing the work on the „FAST Danube 2” project; and implementing important initiatives in the energy sector.
Enhancing connectivity between our two countries and within our neighbourhood is a shared priority of the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania, the European Union and the regional organizations to which we are members.
The accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen space with the air and maritime borders is a significant common success. It is the result of cooperation and trust between the two countries which, with joint efforts, will continue to strengthen the EU’s internal security and coordinate their actions in order to achieve, as soon as possible, a concrete date for the removal of the security checks on the land borders.
The ongoing aggressive war of Russia against Ukraine continues to create new challenges and threats in the region. As strategic partners, the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania prove with their actions their determination to work together to safeguard the security of the Southeastern flank of NATO and in the Black Sea region.
Our main priority going forward will be to continue contributing to the strengthening of the Euro-Atlantic security zone, together with other NATO allies. To this aim, we will continue to offer our support to Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia in their efforts to strengthen their resilience, sovereignty and territorial integrity and continue the process of European integration.
We will continue to cooperate with NATO and the European Union in order to strengthen our defence and protect freedom and safety of navigation and of critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea. We will advocate for restoring peace and security in the Black Sea region based on respect for international law and good neighbourly relations. We will also work together to enhance security and cooperation in the Western Balkans.
We are convinced that the results achieved during the first year of Strategic Partnership represent an important prerequisite for further development of bilateral dialogue and increased coordination at European and international level, to the benefit of the citizens of our countries.
15 March 2024
Sofia, Bucharest