The inclusion of Bulgaria in the Visa-free Travel Program of the USA was discussed at a meeting by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov and the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the USA to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten. This was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on its website.
“Bulgaria’s inclusion in the US visa-free travel program is extremely important and will demonstrate the strategic nature of relations between our two countries,” stressed Kondov. He indicated that by the end of the year, an information campaign aimed at increasing public awareness of the Program and clarifying the conditions and process for applying for a US visa will be launched. The goal of the campaign is to lower the rejection rate, which is a necessary criterion for visa waivers.
Ambassador Merten confirmed the readiness of the embassy in Sofia to continue providing assistance in Bulgaria’s efforts to be included in the Program.
In the course of the conversation, Kondov also raised the issue of concluding a Social Security Agreement between Bulgaria and the USA, which would be in the interest of Bulgarian citizens working or living in the USA.
The two sides also discussed the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and the US State Department on countering the foreign manipulation of information, signed within the second session of the Bulgaria-US Strategic Dialogue, on September 25, 2023 in Washington. The document establishes a framework for cooperation with the US in countering foreign information manipulation through strategy development and capacity building. The two sides confirmed their readiness to continue the joint work on the implementation of the Memorandum.
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