President Putin stated that Russian-Bulgarian relations were developing intensively, but the main objective of stepping up economic contacts, which was set by the two leaders during their previous meetings in Sochi and Moscow in September 2002, had not yet been fulfilled. Trade between the two countries has reached nearly $1.5 billion, though much remains to be done in order to change the structure of trade, the Russian President stressed.
During the meeting he confirmed his intention to visit Bulgaria in the near future for celebrations devoted to the 125th anniversary of Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule.
President Putin congratulated his Bulgarian counterpart, who had recently been awarded the Prize of the International Fund for Unity of Orthodox Peoples.