Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference following the meeting with Prime Minister of Bulgaria Rossen Jeliazkov

Allow me first of all to thank Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov for welcoming me here today and for having this opportunity to exchange about the current geopolitical situation and the key role of Bulgaria in the European Union.

I have the opportunity to visit these days Bulgaria, in a very important moment, when Bulgaria has concretized a very important achievement on a Schengen enlargement and when they are in the very good ongoing process to adopt the euro, I hope in the coming months.

It is very important in this union of diversity to bring the institutions close to citizens, close to companies, close to the different societies who compose our Union. And that is the reason because I will visit now Bulgaria with the Prime Minister and have the opportunity in the next days to visit the region of Stara Zagora to speak with the professors, the students and researchers of Trakia University and learn what they are doing to help diversify the Bulgarian economy.

I will also visit the Arsenal firearms and munitions factory in Kazanluk. With its unique, historical and regional know-how, the Bulgarian defence industry is playing a very important role, not only in Ukraine, but can have a decisive role in the future of Europe's defence.

And finally on Tuesday I will visit the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology in Sofia, which has been recently selected to develop one of the six European artificial intelligence factories, a remarkable achievement.

In this very important moment, competitiveness is our main priority. We need to strengthen our economy, to create better jobs, and to give more opportunities for the new generations. And for this, we need to work together and to manage very well this twin transition on digital and climate, and to fight climate change. And for this, it is very important to work shoulder to shoulder, among the 27 member states to overcome, to face challenges and to use the huge opportunities this twin transition offers to us and to the future of our societies.

Thank you very much, Rossen, and we will continue discussing during the next two days together. And thank you for giving me this opportunity to know better Bulgaria.