Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed, at a meeting in Washington DC, the positive development of relations between the two countries and reaffirmed their strategic character.

Minister Zaharieva raised the question of including Bulgaria in the US Visa Waiver Programme, but for the time being the situation remains unchanged. She was given assurances that the US will continue to assist the country in the process of reducing the visa refusal rate for Bulgarian citizens. In the words of Ekaterina Zaharieva, a social agreement between Bulgaria and USA would be of great help to the 400,000 Bulgarians living in USA.

The US Secretary of State expressed his appreciation of the first Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and of Bulgaria’s support for the countries of the Western Balkans. Ekaterina Zaharieva and Mike Pompeo also discussed the strategic partnership in the sphere of defence, and the plans for the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces, as well as Bulgaria’s efforts to diversify energy sources, routes and supplies.