US, Bulgaria to strengthen defense, energy cooperation

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump and visiting Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Monday reaffirmed their willingness to strengthen bilateral cooperation in defense and energy sectors.

The United States and Bulgaria intended to explore more opportunities for combined military training in the future, according to a joint statement by Trump and Borissov on Monday.

The statement also noted that the two NATO allies planned to deepen defense technology and industry partnership, adding that the United States would continue to facilitate access to high-end defense technologies and armaments for Bulgaria, which has been a member of NATO since 2004.

Before their meeting, Borissov told Trump that Bulgaria's defense spending was 3.1 percent of its gross domestic product, which surpassed the NATO target of 2 percent.

The two leaders also underscored in their joint statement the importance of bilateral cooperation in different areas of energy, including nuclear energy.

"The United States and Bulgaria also plan to work together to enhance Bulgaria's energy security by supporting expeditiously the licensing and use of American nuclear fuel for the Kozloduy nuclear power plant" situated 120 km north of Sofia, said the statement.