Georg Georgiev: Bulgaria Relies on France and the EU to Rigorously Uphold Accession Criteria for Candidate Countries
03 June 2025 News
"Relations between Bulgaria and France are founded on mutual trust and understanding. France is one of our most important partners and strategic allies, with whom we maintain active dialogue and cooperation at all levels in areas of common interest, both bilaterally and within the framework of the EU and NATO." This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev during his meeting with his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot. The two held talks at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France in Paris.
Georg Georgiev expressed his appreciation for France's steadfast support for Bulgaria's accession to both the OECD and the Eurozone. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister also thanked France for the key role it played during its 2022 Presidency of the Council of the European Union in shaping the European consensus that enabled the adoption of the negotiating framework for the Republic of North Macedonia.
"EU enlargement is an effective instrument for ensuring stability, security and prosperity in our neighbourhood, and in this sense, it is of strategic importance to both Bulgaria and the entire European Union," Minister Georgiev stated.
According to him, it is important that the principle of individual merit, along with the strict fulfilment of membership criteria and established conditionalities, remains central to the enlargement process.
"Bulgaria relies on France and all EU Member States to adhere to these principles in their approach to the Union’s candidate countries," the Bulgarian Foreign Minister added.
Minister Georgiev expressed hope that the updated Roadmap of the Bulgarian-French Strategic Partnership, , originally signed in 2008, would be signed soon. "Finalising this strategically important document for our partnership will further strengthen bilateral relations, enriching them with new content across many areas of cooperation," Minister Georgiev noted. The Bulgarian top diplomat extended an invitation to his French counterpart to visit Bulgaria on the occasion of the signing.
The two foreign ministers discussed the positive momentum in trade and economic relations between the two countries and agreed that there is potential for a more visible presence of French companies and investors in Bulgaria, as well as for more active cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data centres, particularly in light of France’s leading role in these fields. Joint activities in the areas of military–technical cooperation and energy were also highlighted as particularly important elements of bilateral collaboration.
Minister Georgiev and Minister Barrot also discussed key topics on the European and international agenda, including continued European support for Ukraine, EU enlargement, and the situation in the Middle East.
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