Bulgaria's FM Discusses EU-Canada Deal with New Ambassador

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has told Canada's new Ambassador to Bulgaria Kevin Hamilton that Sofia needs guarantees from the Canadian government that visa liberalization will happen in 2017.

While welcoming Canada's readiness to announce a visa-free regime, he has insisted that parameters have to be smoothed out, and a confirmation must be made the step will be taken before the free trade deal with the EU is signed.

"Our country appreciates the role of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement [CETA, between the EU and anada], but we first and foremost demand clear guarantees on the issue of visa liberalization for Bulgarian citizens so that they can make use of the full potential of the agreements reached," the Foreign Ministry quotes Mitov as saying.

He has added that only through a visa waiver could Bulgarian economic subjects be placed on an equal footing with the other member states and Canada.

On Wednesday, Bulgaria's government announced it would only support CETA in case there are guarantees a visa-free regime will be established for Bulgarian nationals willing to travel to Canada.

H.E. Kevin Hamilton is ambassador of Canada to Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. Based in Bucharest, he has spent the past few days in Bulgaria and has posted on Twitter pictures of his meetings with President Rosen Plevneliev, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov and business representatives.