Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Bulgaria has made significant progress in reducing the percentage of US visa denials, with only 6.02% of applicants rejected in 2024. This represents a sharp decrease from the previous year, when 11.61% of visa applications were denied, marking the lowest denial rate in the last 18 years.

Bulgaria has approved humanitarian aid amounting to 929,019 leva to support Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Armenia. This assistance will be offered as voluntary contributions through international organizations, as confirmed by a recent government decision.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to request approval from member states to use supplied weapons for deep strikes on military targets within Russia. Speaking ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, Kuleba emphasized the importance of obtaining permission to target what he termed "legitimate military targets" deep inside Russia.

In the second reading, the parliament endorsed a bill to ratify the agreement for Bulgaria's involvement in the OECD Program for Ukraine, accompanied by a voluntary financial donation of 60,000 euros (117,350 BGN).

Turkey summoned the Bulgarian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry late on Nov. 18 over allegations that Turkey interfered in Bulgaria's presidential and parliamentary elections and internal affairs.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has helped a Bulgarian family to evacuate from the Gaza Strip. The family asked for help from the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Ramallah. The evacuation lasted 17 days through an operation organized by Ukraine with the assistance of Egypt.

According to data of the Bulgarian Border Police, nearly 110,000 Bulgarians returned from abroad from the first day of quarantine until March 23. 36,000 people returned to Bulgaria by plane. Over 26,000 Bulgarians entered this country from Romania, nearly 2,000 from Greece. 3,000 Bulgarian nationals entered this country from North Macedonia and 4,000 people entered Bulgaria from Serbia.

Latest updates on travel restrictions as of March 15, 2020 (according to Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Albania

In relation to the situation with the new coronavirus COVID-19 in the north of Italy, Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Bulgarian citizens who reside or travel to Italy, to travel only as a matter of last resort to the regions with confirmed cases of coronavirus, MoFA said on February 23, quoted by BNT.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons today Turkey's Ambassador to Sofia Hasan Ulusoy. The meeting is ordered by Bulgaria's Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva. Ambassador Ulusoy should explain his words on May 12 which caused tension between Bulgaria and Turkey.