Foreign minister Velislava Petrova met Canada's new ambassador, Kevin Rex, and they discussed Black Sea security, defence, energy, trade, investment and technology, the Foreign Ministry said.
Rex is Canada's ambassador to Bulgaria, but he is based in Bucharest.
Deputy foreign minister Hristo Polendakov received copies of Rex's credentials a few days ago. In both meetings, Bulgaria raised the issue of a Canadian embassy in Sofia, which it sees as a priority. It asked Polendakov for the embassy to open as soon as possible. The ministry believes an embassy in Sofia would widen dialogue and partnership between the two countries in areas of shared interest.
Petrova and Rex spoke about closer ties and political dialogue. The minister said working with NATO allies, including Canada, is important to deter threats and boost maritime security in the Black Sea region.
On defence, they discussed cooperation, buying new capabilities and modernising the Bulgarian army. They also spoke about digitalisation, high technology and artificial intelligence. On energy, the topics were nuclear power, hydropower, energy storage and critical raw materials.
Trade between Bulgaria and Canada has grown by 200% since the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) began to apply provisionally, Ambassador Rex said. He said the rise is a good base for building trade and economic ties with Bulgaria.
The minister and the ambassador also discussed more Canadian investment in Bulgaria, tourism and promoting Bulgaria in Canada. Rex confirmed that Canada consistently backs Bulgaria's bid to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Bulgaria will host a connectivity summit next spring, with an investment forum alongside it. Connectivity is one of the country's strategic priorities, Petrova said. The summit and forum aim to find funding for specific transport corridor projects and to attract investment for regional connectivity.