Bibi Netanyahu Sweeps Bulgaria Off Her Feet
B. Netanyahu and His Bulgarian Counterpart PM Boyko Borisov
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended his European tour to lobby for a vote against the intended claim of the Palestinians for a state unilaterally recognized at the General Assembly of the United Nations with a visit in Bulgaria, where he made very warm remarks and promised Bulgarians a very strong and close relation with the Jewish state.
Netanyahu was coming from Romania, where he met the president and the prime minister of this country, and had also visited Britain and France before coming to Sofia.
In a press conference, Netanyahu was reminescent of his first trip to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, as a young diplomat who was attempting a first diplomatic contact with Bulgaria, in the 1990s, soon after the fall of the Communist regime in Eastern Europe.
Bulgarian Government Building
He expressed regrets that the cabinets of the two countries did not meet earlier, and promised that he would see to it that what has not been done for the last twenty years to be done now.
Netanyahu disclosed that the leadership of Israel has long been pondering the idea of tightening the relation with the East Europe, given that the countries in this region share with Israel common values and even civilization values.
Netanyahu said that the partnership with Bulgaria and other countries in the Eastern Europe is a natural one.
He went on to make it his personal mission in Bulgaria to introduce Israel to the economic opportunities offered by Bulgaria.
Bulgaria is the the entrance to the European market, and provides golden opportunities for Israel, he added in a conference at the Bulgarian Council of Ministers.
Sofia, Bulgaria
Netanyahu said that Bulgaria and Israel have a relation based on closeness and friendship, and stressed out that these are not mere words.
And to prove that it is more than words, Netanyahu and Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov signed a joint declaration between their countries, and a declaration for mutual protection of investments, and a declaration for the cooperation in the field of industry, and scientific research.
A cooperation agreement in the field of agriculture between Israel and Bulgaria is to be signed on Thursday.
“There are countries that have oil, natural gas, or other opportunities given by God. Bulgaria has fat lands. It has water, sun and lands,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel will make great efforts in the direction of developing this opportunity.
Bulgarian Prime Minister said that it was a goal of his government to attract Israeli investment in their country, and the goal seems to have been fulfilled.
During his visit to Bucharest, Israeli PM made economic propositions to Romania, too, though not that wide and focused, inviting Romanian traders to enter the Jewish market of food products, wines, and even oil.
