Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popșoi, met with Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Velislava Petrova, during his official visit to Sofia, TRIBUNA reports.

The discussions focused on the main priorities of Moldovan-Bulgarian relations, Bulgaria’s support for the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union, the development of economic and energy cooperation, and strengthening regional security.

Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi thanked the authorities in Sofia for their support for Moldova’s EU accession process, as well as for their willingness to share Bulgaria’s best practices and experience along this path. He also emphasized that the Republic of Moldova is ready to open the remaining four negotiation clusters.

“For the Republic of Moldova, European integration means a broad process of transforming and modernizing the country, creating more opportunities and improving the living standards of our citizens. Bulgaria’s experience and the lessons it has learned on its path to the European Union are highly valuable for us. We are convinced that, together with close friends and partners such as Bulgaria, we can confidently move toward our shared European future,” Mihai Popșoi said.

For her part, Velislava Petrova highlighted the close relations between the two countries, as well as active cooperation in various fields. She also reaffirmed Bulgaria’s support for advancing the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession process.

“Bulgaria consistently supports the European integration of the Republic of Moldova and welcomes the progress it has made, based on its own merits and its efforts to implement the necessary reforms. We will continue to support the Republic of Moldova on its European path and work together to strengthen the resilience of Moldovan institutions,” Velislava Petrova said.

The role of the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Moldova in strengthening relations between the two countries was also discussed. Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi emphasized the importance of preserving and promoting the community’s linguistic and cultural identity and reaffirmed the commitment of the authorities in Chișinău in this regard.

The minister also highlighted cooperation between the two countries in education, including the opening in 2025 of a branch of “Angel Kanchev” University of Ruse in Taraclia. According to the data presented, more than 190 students and 30 master’s students enrolled at the institution for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The interlocutors also discussed the importance of deepening economic and trade relations, with an emphasis on tapping the potential for new investments and joint projects. They also discussed organizing the 10th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation, which will help identify and establish new opportunities for collaboration.

The two ministers also exchanged views on security developments in the Black Sea region and the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in countering hybrid threats and disinformation.