On Monday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Nikolai Denkov in the framework of the Ukraine-Balkans Summit held in Athens.

The Head of State thanked Nikolai Denkov for comprehensive support of Ukraine in the struggle against the Russian aggressor, particularly for the recent decisions of the Bulgarian government on the provision of defense support.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the head of the Bulgarian government discussed further cooperation to protect our country.

The interlocutors paid special attention to the situation in the Black Sea region. They discussed cooperation between the Black Sea states to ensure sustainable security in the Black Sea and the functioning of the "grain corridor" in alternative ways.

"I am grateful to Bulgaria for condemning Russia's unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Ukraine is ready to use alternative ways for the "grain corridor". We count on Bulgaria's support in this regard," the President of Ukraine said.

He thanked Nikolai Denkov for his support of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the readiness of the Bulgarian side to participate in the implementation of its specific points.

The Head of State also noted Bulgaria's accession to the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine adopted by the G7 countries at the NATO Summit in Vilnius.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister, for his part, reaffirmed his principled support for the Crimea Platform, the third summit of which will be held in Kyiv on August 23, 2023.