Israeli-Bulgarian Intergovernmental Consultations

JOINT STATEMENT

Jerusalem, 11 September, 2012

On 11 September, 2012, the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel held intergovernmental consultations. The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borissov, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, note with satisfaction the progress achieved in the relations between the two countries furthermore enhanced today with new bilateral agreements. The Prime Ministers emphasize their determination to further strengthen the relations between the Governments of Israel and Bulgaria and their cooperation in a wide range of areas of strategic importance.

The Prime Ministers wish to thank all those who have worked tirelessly to advance the ties between the two states.

The following Government members participated in the consultations:

On the Bulgarian side:

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov

Minister of Education, Youth and Sciences Sergey Ignatov

Minister of Defence Anyu Angelov

Minister of Health Desislava Atanasova

Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov

Minister of Labour and Social Policy Totiu Mladenov

Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski

Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Delyan Dobrev

Minister of Environment and Waters Nona Karadzhova

Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov

On the Israeli side:

Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu

Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak

Minister of Education, Mr. Gideon Sa'ar

Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz

Minister of Interior Mr. Eli Yishai

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms. Orit Noked

Minister of Social Affairs and Communications, Mr. Moshe Kahlon

Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety, Mr. Israel Katz

Minister of Tourism, Mr. Stas Misejnikov

Minister of Environmental Protection, Mr. Gilad Erdan

Minister of Culture and Sport, Ms. Limor Livnat

Minister of Home Front Defense, Mr. Avi Dichter

Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Yaakov Litzman

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Daniel Ayalon

Foreign Affairs

The Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel note with satisfaction the growing friendly relations between the two nations, which are based on both shared values and strategic interests, and reaffirm the mutual recognition of their political, security and economic needs. The fact that this is the second intergovernmental session in two years indicates strong dynamics of cooperation between the two countries.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack against Israeli citizens in Bulgaria, the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel honour the memory of the victims, Israeli and a Bulgarian, and extend condolences to their families. The Governments confirm their commitment to fight all forms of terrorism and to further develop mutual co-operation in this regard.

Both Governments reiterate their objective to strengthen the already close relations and the special historical ties between the two peoples and cultures.

Both Governments praise the unique contribution of the community of Israelis of Bulgarian origin to the strengthening of ties between the two nations and societies.

The two Governments, through their respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs, will continue to promote and elaborate dialogue in the fields of strategy, economics and R&D. The Ministries will also examine programmes supporting innovation, and encourage exchange of diplomats, opinion makers, journalists and youth.

The Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel recognise the importance and the mutual benefits for both Israel and the European Union in further co-operating within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

The relations between Israel and the European Union, in the face of global challenges and threats, have been characterised by growing cooperation and achievements in the political, economic/commercial, scientific, technological and cultural spheres, based on shared values and interests.

The Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel recognise the importance and mutual benefits in further developing the NATO-Israel cooperation, in the spirit of NATO’s Partnership Policy.

The Governments of Bulgaria and Israel are committed to co-operating in the framework of the UN and other international organisations to the benefit of both countries.

In light of the fundamental changes in the Middle East and the North African region, both Governments express their strong support for peoples` aspirations for change. They agree that the democratisation is a long and challenging process that includes positive and constructive tendencies for fundamental political, economic and social changes, as well as a real potential danger for outbreak of violence and radicalisation which, if not managed properly, has the potential to further destabilise the situation in that part of the world.

The Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel express their serious concern about the current stalemate in the Middle East Peace Process. They share the conviction that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be reached through direct negotiations between the parties. Such negotiations can be based on the Quartet principles with the goal of achieving two states for two peoples – the State of Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland of the Jewish people, and an independent, democratic and viable State of Palestine as the homeland of the Palestinian people, living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition.

Both Governments oppose any manifestation of delegitimisation of the State of Israel.

Both Governments share the extreme concern of the international community about the character and final aim of the Iranian nuclear program. They expect Iran to make diplomacy work in order to comply with international demands.

Development Cooperation

The governments of Bulgaria and Israel are committed to the global cause of Development and poverty eradication. The two sides have decided to increase their engagement and coordination and to establish a Development Dialogue between MASHAV and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and examine possible Development cooperation 3

and partnership for the benefit of developing countries and Global Sustainable Development.

Defence

The Ministers of Defence agreed to continue the defence cooperation between the countries, on the basis of mutually agreed annual programs.

Holocaust Remembrance

Both Governments welcome the study, research and teaching of the fate of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. They strongly reiterate that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and denial of the Holocaust are absolutely unacceptable.

The Government of Israel notes with appreciation the decision of the Government of Bulgaria to join the International Task Force on Holocaust Remembrance, Education and Research. The rescue of the Bulgarian Jewish community during the Second World War was a rare example of non-submission to the Nazi’s Final Solution and the lessons to be drawn from it must serve the cause of resisting all attempts to revive anti-Semitism.

Both governments, during 2013, will elaborate a bilateral program for commemorating the 70th anniversary of the fate of the Jewish community of Bulgaria and morning the memory of those communities lost during the Holocaust. The program will contribute to raising public awareness about the historical facts surrounding these events including the rescue of the Jewish community in Bulgaria, the destruction of other communities, as well as the importance of these events in the history of the Holocaust. It will be realized through bilaterally coordinated activities in Bulgaria and Israel, other countries and through international organisations.

The bilateral program will be coordinated by a joint panel comprised of representatives of both Ministries of Foreign Affaires in consultation with "Yad Vashem"."

The Governments agree that Holocaust remembrance should be fostered via creating a growing awareness in both the public and the educational realm. This includes support for Bulgarian educators attending yearly training seminars at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The Governments support the strengthening of archival ties, particularly via renewed agreements between the Bulgarian State Archive and Yad Vashem.

Both Governments will cooperate in recognising and honouring those who significantly contributed to the rescue of the Bulgarian Jewish Community during the Holocaust.

Internal Security

Bulgaria and Israel will cooperate in further promoting and expanding the bilateral activities in the field of internal security, in accordance with the existing Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the State of Israel on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking and Abuse of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic 4

Substances and Other Serious Crimes (signed on 25 February, 2007) and the Summary of Discussion on Bilateral Cooperation and Mutual Assistance Concerning Emergency Management (signed on 7 July, 2011).

Both parties will develop bilateral cooperation guided by the following key objectives:

 To maintain regular high-level visits and political consultations to coordinate the bilateral cooperation in the field of internal security;

 To strengthen and expand the bilateral cooperation in the fight against transnational crime;

 To foster the exchange of knowledge, experiences and best practices in the fight against various forms of serious crimes (including organising training programmes and seminars for the relevant authorities);

 To encourage bilateral cooperation, assistance and exchange of best practices in emergency situations; strengthening the regional cooperation in the fields of prevention of, preparedness for and response to emergency situations.

Trade and Economic Cooperation

Based on the solid foundation of actively pursued pragmatic cooperation in the field of trade and economic development, the bilateral relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel have reached an advanced stage of long-term strategic partnership on all levels.

The Governments have agreed on the agenda for the first session of the Joint Israeli-Bulgarian Committee on Economic Cooperation, which will play an important role in identifying areas of future collaboration and measures to be taken to increase trade.

The two parties will work on expanding, in a balanced manner, and diversifying the trade flows between the two countries. Bulgaria has the potential to boost its export of such products as mineral water, foodstuffs, rose oil, transformer devices, plastics, furniture and chemicals to the Israeli market.

In view of the Israeli construction sector’s demand for a skilled workforce, the parties have agreed to continue the cooperation between them in accordance with the Agreement and the Implementing Procedure signed in December 2011 and to enhance the arrival of qualified Bulgarian construction workers.

During the first session of the Intergovernmental Consultations, an Agreement on Cooperation in the field of private-sector industrial R&D was signed. The Agreement came into force during April 2012. The parties have agreed to continue the bilateral exchange in the field of R&D and professional training, particularly in the areas with strong potential for innovation, and modern applied industrial technologies.

Given the world-renowned quality of the healthcare services in Israel, the Governments have agreed to arrange on-site qualification and training courses for Bulgarian healthcare

professionals.

Both sides have agreed to exchange best practices for establishing industrial parks, water management and agro-technology development.

Investment projects

Over the past several years, the attractiveness of Bulgaria as an FDI destination has grown significantly, reflecting the country’s geographical location at a crossway between the EU, Russia, Turkey and the Middle East, its sound macroeconomic and financial foundations, and one of the lowest tax rates in Europe coupled with consistent measures to improve infrastructure facilities and reduce the overall administrative burden.

Bulgaria attaches key importance to attracting new Israeli investment, particularly in the high-tech and value-adding industries such as the ICT sector, outsourcing and electronics, as well as in agriculture.

The Bulgarian side has invited Israeli companies to join efforts in setting up technological parks in Bulgaria, with the recent launch of Sofia Techno Park being a fine opportunity to attract investment in the establishment of a new platform for entrepreneurship and innovation in the field of ICT.

In light of the challenges that Israel and Bulgaria face in the water sector, both countries recognise the importance of the field of water technologies and wish to strengthen the cooperation in this field.

Aiming to encourage the cooperation between companies from both sides, the Israeli side has suggested to the Bulgarian side that Bulgarian companies be informed about the possibility to meet with Israeli companies during various exhibitions and conferences all over the world.

Cooperation in Energy Projects

The strategic geographical location of Bulgaria provides considerable opportunities to diversify the sources and routes of international oil and natural-gas supplies. In this context, the country’s territory is a natural passage for future gas pipelines linking the EU area with Russia, the Caspian region, the Middle East and North Africa, and Bulgaria is keen to promote the development of several international natural-gas projects.

Therefore, both parties have agreed to work on attracting Israeli investments for the project of developing a regional regasification terminal that would enable LNG deliveries from the Mediterranean basin, and especially from Israel.

Transportation

The Governments will continue expanding the mutually beneficial relations between the two countries in the field of transportation and will further cooperate for the exchange of best practices on improving road safety, road-safety infrastructure and operations in the ports and transport security.

As a follow-up to the recent bilateral meetings in the field of maritime transport, the two sides will continue the negotiations to finalise an Agreement on Maritime Merchant Shipping between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the State of Israel so that it can be signed in the near future.

The Governments agreed to cooperate on issues of mutual interest in the field of transport security, within the respective responsibility of each participant in the context of providing a secure transportation environment.

Information Technologies and Communications

The Governments will continue the cooperation in the field of ICT, information and network security, e-government, Internet Governance and the policy-making processes in the field of ITC, as well as within the specialised international organisations.

Tourism

The bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism has a strong potential for further development given the longstanding historical ties between our two people, as well as the rich cultural heritage and diverse natural scenery of both countries. Therefore, the Governments will intensify the ongoing information exchange in this sector in order to increase the number of tourists between the two countries and promote joint projects in the area of spa and wellness tourism in Bulgaria, where there are over 600 mineral springs and significant medicinal mud deposits, as well as high quality spa and balneo-treatment facilities that are subject to upgrading and modernisation.

High priority is given to the development of joint marketing and investment projects in the field of tourism. At present, there are marked opportunities for attracting new Israeli investment in several sub-sectors of the Bulgarian tourist industry, most notably in holiday homes, apartment hotels and leisure facilities in such developed resorts as Bansko-Razlog, Sunny Beach, etc.

According to Article 10 of the Cooperation Agreement in Tourism, the Governments will undertake the preparatory steps for setting-up a Joint Inter-Ministerial Committee in which both countries will be equally represented, which will boost the tourist exchange between Bulgaria and Israel.

Both Governments will further strengthen their cooperation to improve the safety and security of travellers.

Construction, Housing and Water Sector

The Governments will exchange information in the field of construction standards, energy-saving construction, restoration of buildings and related technologies, as well as energy efficiency. Particular focus will be put on sharing good practices relevant to the water supply and sewerage management in the field of water supply, good use of water resources, potable water supply, decreased water loss, waste-water treatment, organised water-supply companies and water conservation.

Health

The Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Israel will cooperate in the field of healthcare in the following priority areas as stipulated in the new plan of cooperation between the Ministries of Health of the two countries:

 Healthcare financing;  Public health and health promotion, including control of infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS prevention;  Emergency medicine;  Improving access to quality health services;  Prevention of chronic diseases;  Mental health;  Drug policy;  Implementation of a multidisciplinary team approaches to healthcare delivery. Food and Agriculture

The Governments will encourage the economic, scientific, and technical cooperation in the agricultural field.

While scientific cooperation should remain public for the most part, the parties consider it essential that the private sector be given a leading role in economic and technical cooperation.

The areas of interest for cooperation that both parties have identified include:  Production and processing of dairy and meat products-legislation and requirements;  Livestock breeding and aquaculture-legislation and requirements;  Exchange of experience in the organization and management of the breeding, artificial insemination and embryo transfer in the animal breeding;  Greenhouse construction and reconstruction for the purpose of vegetable production;  The use of animal waste as a source for bio fuel;  Planning wholesale markets for fresh fruit and vegetables;  Exchange of information between the competent authorities in the veterinary and phytosanitary area of both parties;  Identification of alternative production and livelihood options in less favoured regions in the rural sector;  Increasing the efficiency of water consumption in agriculture;  Improving water management in rural areas; 8

 Other areas of mutual interest. Social policy

In accordance with the Joint Declaration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Services of the State of Israel in the Areas of Social Protection and Social Inclusion that was signed between the Governments in December 2010. The Governments will strive to sign an Agreement of Cooperation in the near future. The Agreement will serve as the basis for the strengthening of collaboration between the two Governments in the field of social welfare through mutual learning and research.

Labour

The Governments agree on cooperating specifically in the sphere of labour relations, employment and social security, vocational training and qualification, and social services and assistance.

Education and Youth Exchanges

The Governments reiterate the importance of sharing their experience concerning the educational systems of both countries and encouraging direct contact and collaborative programmes between educational institutions at all educational levels.

The Governments will promote initiatives in the field of education which will advance opportunities for cooperation on all educational levels with the goal of increasing knowledge of cultural and historical value for both countries. Through the Universities Initiative, both parties will continue to promote language teaching and the exchange of lecturers and teachers, as well as provide scholarships for exchange students, post-graduate students and researchers in all scientific areas.

The Governments agree on the importance of youth exchanges in building bridges for future cooperation, peace and stability, and emphasise the importance of the participation of youth organisations from both countries in joint projects in the framework of existing programmes of cooperation.

The Governments agree to promote youth exchanges between Israel and Bulgaria, with the aim of creating friendship among the younger generation in both countries.

The Governments welcome the signing of the three-year Program of Cultural, Educational and Scientific Cooperation (2012-2015) between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the State of Israel.

Science

The Governments agree on the importance of promoting scientific cooperation between the countries. The parties will encourage further direct contacts and exchange between scientific institutions in both countries. 9

The Governments encourage the future expansion of scientific relations by initiating a bilateral programme for cooperation in science and technology. The Israeli party will consider this possibility favourably, subject to the availability of funds.

The Israeli Government welcomes the Bulgarian Government's offer to join Bulgarian scientific research missions to Antarctica. The details of such collaboration will be discussed by the parties separately.

Environmental Protection

The Governments will cooperate and exchange knowledge on environmental issues, with an emphasis on the fields of water management, climate change and green growth.

In the area of water management, the sides will promote cooperation on the issues of prevention of water pollution and water loss, waste-water treatment, water recycling and river restoration.

The Governments will cooperate in the field of climate change in light of the measures being carried out to implement the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions Action Plan for the State of Israel, and the EU Climate-Change Policy in Bulgaria.

On the topic of green growth, Israel and Bulgaria will cooperate in light of the National Green Growth Plan to be implemented in Israel, and EU’s Europe 2020 strategy in Bulgaria.

Culture

The Governments will continue to encourage initiatives of cultural exchange and providing favourable conditions for direct cooperation between state, public and private organisations and entities.

The Governments express their satisfaction with the conclusion in March 2012, of an agreement on film co-production and will support its implementation.

Sports

 The Governments will encourage the Exchange of good practices and expertise in the field of physical education and sport (for example, sport for all programs, programs aimed at young people and their physical preparation).

Conclusion

The Prime Ministers reiterate the tremendous importance they attribute to the ties between the two Governments and agree to conduct the next round of intergovernmental consultations in Sofia during 2013.

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H.E. Boyko Borissov H.E. Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Prime Minister of the State of Israel