Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relationship with Bulgaria.

Bulgaria remains a key partner and North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally for the United Kingdom, and we cooperate on many key priorities including Russia-Ukraine and tackling organised immigration crime. We signed a Strategic Partnership in October 2023, and held the first of our yearly Strategic Dialogues in Sofia in June 2025, providing an opportunity to discuss a range of bilateral and international priorities. The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Georgiev on 21 July in London, and on 17 January in Sofia, where they discussed the full range of the bilateral relationship. The Minister for the Cabinet Office met the Interior and Foreign Ministers in Sofia on 17 June when he visited regarding the roll-out of eGates to UK nationals. I met the Bulgarian Ambassador to London on 23 June.