Bilateral relations thrives in various fields
CAIRO: Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov is scheduled to visit Egypt next November accompanied by a business delegation, said Bulgarian Ambassador in Cairo Ivan Gaetanjiev.
Gaetanjiev voiced Sofia s keenness to strengthen relations with Egypt in all vistas, taking into account Egypt s leading role in the region and the country s interest in Bulgaria, now an EU member.
The Bulgarian ambassador, who arrived in Cairo about six months ago and handed over his credentials to President Hosni Mubarak on May 13, prepared the visits of two Bulgarian ministers to Egypt.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivailo Kalfin attended the International conference on Iraq in Sharm El-Sheikh. The Minister of Interior Rumen Petkov met with his Egyptian counterpart Habib El-Adly and to discuss reinvigorating a security agreement. The agreement entails combating organized crime, money laundry, terror and human trafficking.
Vania Dobreva, deputy minister of education, is to participate at a Euro-Med conference on Higher Education and Scientific Research held today in Cairo.
In addition, negotiations are underway to mull the possibility of running a direct airline between the two capitals, the ambassador said, announcing that the head of the Bulgarian Agency for Aviation is expected in Cairo shortly.
The Bulgarian minister of Culture is also expected in Egypt this fall, heading a delegation of artists that will participated in the proceedings of the Bulgarian cultural days in Cairo, the ambassador told The Daily Star Egypt in an exclusive interview.
On the other hand, Sofia expects the visits of Fathy Sorour, speaker of the People s Assembly, and Ahmed Abuol Gheit, the foreign minister.
Sorour promised to accept the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart as soon as possible, and to form a group of the Friends of Bulgaria at the parliament to balance with the Friends of Egypt group in the Bulgarian Parliament, Gaetanjiev said.
The political stands of both countries are nearly the same at international forums, the ambassador said, adding that both countries now are keen to promote economic and trade relations.
Recently, the Egyptian delegation attending the 14th round of political consultation isn Bulgaria, a number of proposals were discussed. They include raising the chairmanship of the joint governmental commission to the level of ministers, setting up a joint chamber of commerce and establishing a Bulgarian society in Egypt that comprises businessmen and intellectuals.
Egypt and Bulgaria are keen as well to widen their cooperation in the sports field, the Bulgarian ambassador said. He noted that the Bulgarian Nesho Peperov is the coach of the national wrestling team. Peperov was also the coach of the Greco-Roman wrestler champion Karam Gaber. Bulgarian coaches in boxing and wrestling are expected in Egypt soon, the ambassador said.
