Clinton to Discuss Visa Regime in Sofia

Hillary Clinton is scheduled to visit Bulgaria on February 5th. She was invited by Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov.

Mladenov says that one of the main items on the agenda will be the US visa regime for Bulgarian citizens.

Other items for discussion will be Bulgaria’s recognition of the years of service of Bulgarians working in the US and the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the US in the security sector. The security sector partnership includes NATO, the NATO mission in Afghanistan, partnership on the Balkans, and the situation in the Middle East.

"I hope that we will have the opportunity to have a serious discussion on the American visa policy towards Bulgaria and some particular agreements on the years of service of Bulgarians who had been employed in the US," Mladenov said.

During her official visit to Bulgaria, Clinton also plans to meet with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and President Rosen Plevneliev. Ministers of the cabinet will also be present during the talks.

Clinton visited Sofia as first lady in October 1998, when her husband Bill Clinton was the US President. During that visit, she participated in the conference "Women of the 21st century".