Russia and Bulgaria to Sign Intergovernmental Documents

Russia and Bulgaria will sign an inter-state and a number of inter-governmental and inter-departmental documents in the fields of trade, investments, collaboration of law-enforcement bodies and culture some time in the near future. This information was provided by spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry Alexander Yakovenko shortly before the visit of Vladimir Putin to Sofia.

The diplomat said in an interview with RIA Novosti on the Russian-Bulgarian relations that these documents will allow "to establish a new quality of our relations and determine the priority directions of the long-term bilateral collaboration." In addition, Moscow believes, they will help to further develop the legal-treaty basis of the Russian-Bulgarian cooperation.

According to Yakovenko, the present-day stage of Russian-Bulgarian relations is characterised by the atmosphere of mutually beneficial cooperation based on pragmatism. The interests of the sides are also being taken into account.

Touching upon the international problems, Alexander Yakovenko pointed out that Russia and Bulgaria have been striving of late to more intensively collaborate in foreign policy. The urgent international problems - the situation around Iraq, the Middle Eastern settlement, the situation in the Balkans and new global challenges and threats are being discussed within the framework of a political dialogue, he said. The foreign ministry's official representative also pointed to the mutual adherence to the intensification of international cooperation.