SOFIA, May 20 (Reuters) – Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev on Wednesday said he spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone and brought up visa-free travel for Bulgarian nationals to the U.S.
“In my conversation with the American president, I insistently raised the issue of lifting U.S. visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens and I expect this matter to be considered urgently,” Radev said before chairing a cabinet meeting.
• NATO member Bulgaria hosts U.S. military aircraft in its capital, Sofia.
• Bulgaria has said more than a dozen U.S. aircraft are authorised to transit through Bulgarian airspace and land in Sofia for refueling until the end of May.
• Radev said he spoke to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and expected a request for U.S. military aircraft to remain in Sofia beyond May.
• Radev won a landslide election victory in a parliamentary election on April 19.
• Some saw his campaign as Kremlin-friendly as he raised concerns about Bulgaria joining the euro zone and about military support for Ukraine.
• Radev denies he is pro-Russian and says that he will follow an EU path and has already met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
(Reporting by Alex Lefkowitz; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
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