Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova is in the Netherlands on an official visit on October 5, where she will hold talks with her Dutch counterpart Tom Berendsen. The programme also includes meetings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Clingendael Institute of International Relations.

 

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova is paying an official visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands on October 5. In The Hague, she will hold talks with Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The talks are expected to focus on bilateral and European cooperation, security, strategic connectivity and current international issues. The visit comes as Bulgaria seeks to strengthen ties with key European partners and make greater use of its strategic position on the Black Sea and at the intersection of major transport and energy routes.

Another important part of Petrova’s programme will be a meeting with Marcin Czepelak, Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. During a special ceremony at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Bulgarian minister will present, on behalf of Bulgaria, a hand-crafted oak lectern created by the Tryavna School of Applied Arts in the Bulgarian town of Tryavna.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry views the gesture as an expression of the country’s continued commitment to international law and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. The Permanent Court of Arbitration is based at the Peace Palace alongside the International Court of Justice and The Hague Academy of International Law. Bulgaria is one of the 26 founding states of the Court and participated in the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907.

The visit also includes a visit to the Clingendael Institute of International Relations. The sides are expected to discuss diplomatic training, institutional cooperation and strategic connectivity.

At the end of September, speaking during the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Petrova identified security, strategic connectivity and the development of political and economic partnerships among Bulgaria’s foreign policy priorities. Sofia is paying particular attention to transport and energy corridors between Europe and Asia, as well as security in the Black Sea region.

 

It should be noted that Bulgaria has placed increasing emphasis in recent months on strengthening European and transatlantic security, developing transport and energy connectivity, and enhancing the country’s role in regional infrastructure projects. Against this background, Petrova’s visit to The Hague goes beyond routine bilateral consultations. For Sofia, it provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with an influential EU member state, reaffirm its commitment to international law, and advance its own agenda on European security and strategic connectivity.

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05.10.2026 03:10