PA President Abbas (left) was welcomed in Sofia by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. Photo by BGNES
The President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas arrived together with a government delegation on a two-day visit to Bulgaria.
“Bulgaria is a beautify and friendly country for which the Palestinian people have love and respect,” he told the Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov who welcomed him in Sofia.
Parvanov in turn vowed Bulgaria’s backing for the setting up an independent Palestinian state and for the “small steps and decisions” that can help the peace process in the Middle East.
“Every kind of support that Bulgaria will grant the Palestinian Authority will be categorical but diplomatic and unobtrusive. There have been many countries exploiting the PA for their own goals rather than helping the Middle East Peace Process but Bulgaria is not one of them,” the Bulgarian President declared.
He also pointed out Bulgaria’s traditionally good relations with Israel to which Abbas replied that he accepted the Bulgarian-Israeli relations as something natural.
The Palestinian President declared himself in favor of setting up a council of businessmen and officials to form a joint commission to help expand and improve the bilateral ties.
His Bulgarian counterpart has urged close contacts between construction companies from Bulgaria and Palestine, and has suggested that Bulgaria can provide education opportunities to Palestinian students.