Opening Statement by PM Netanyahu at the Joint Press Conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov

http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Events/Pages/eventbulgari110912.aspx
 
I want to welcome you, my good friends, Prime Minister Borissov, Boyko, and 
your delegation, to Israel.  This is our second Government to Government 
meeting.  It expresses a real friendship.  Now that friendship was there 
before we began these series of meetings, because we have a human bridge in 
the many Jews who came from Bulgaria and the example of courage and 
principle of Bulgaria, Bulgarians in Sophia in World War Two during the 
Holocaust.
 
There was natural, fertile ground for this to develop, but it has developed 
a great deal since then because we have common interests that have been 
expressed in the agreements we just signed in a variety of areas: in health, 
in technology, in science, in education, in culture.  And our economies are 
getting closer.  We discussed this morning, and will continue to discuss now 
over lunch, the ways we can expand this.  You talked about investments in 
agriculture, in R&D.  You talked about technology.  You talked about 
important facts that I think the world should know about the stability of 
Bulgaria, the success of Bulgaria, may I say, the tax rates of Bulgaria, and 
other things that create opportunity for Israeli investors and Israeli 
cooperation in Bulgaria and with Bulgaria.
 
I look forward to translating that into concrete policies.  We view you as 
great friends.  And this friendship was tested recently in the great tragedy 
that took place in Bulgaria.  I have to say that, since our last meeting, we 
agreed to expand tourism, and in fact, the number of visitors that came to 
Bulgaria climbed steeply and crossed 150,000, getting closer to 200,000. 
And yet we had this tragedy.  I think friends are tested in times of need, 
and you rose to the challenge.  You personally, Prime Minister, your 
government, your people, your doctors, everyone.
 
We appreciated that deeply.  We also know that you stand with us against 
terror, because terror is indivisible and the battle against terrorism must 
be indivisible, and the victims of terrorism include, as in this case, 
Israelis and Bulgarians, and in so many other cases, the citizens of other 
countries.  Today is September 11th.  So we commemorate the greatest terror 
attack of all time.  We know that this malignancy threatens the entire 
world.  And we know that the free countries and the principled countries 
have to stand together to defeat it.  And we know that we have, with you, 
such a partnership, and I have no doubt that we shall prevail.
 
I look forward again to have the opportunity to see the many ways that we 
can increase cooperation, and I look forward to visiting Bulgaria on the 
next G2G meeting.  It's always a pleasure to see you, Boyko.  Welcome to 
Israel.
 
 
 
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