President Iliana Yotova met her Swiss counterpart Guy Parmelin in New York. The talks took place on the sidelines of the general debate at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the Bulgarian president's press office said. The two discussed joint projects in high technology.

"Cooperation between Bulgaria and Switzerland in this field is an example of excellent partnership," Yotova said. Parmelin noted that ties between the two countries are growing well, and this year marks 110 years since Bulgaria and Switzerland established diplomatic relations.

Yotova spoke about how Bulgaria is developing in high technology. She pointed to the strong link between science and business at home and gave the example of the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT). She noted that Bulgaria is among six countries chosen by the European Commission to build an AI gigafactory. Yotova hopes funding for it will be included in the EU's next multi-year budget.

The president also praised the results of the Swiss-Bulgarian cooperation programme, calling them strong and lasting. She hopes Swiss investors will show more interest in Bulgaria and pointed to several successful joint projects.

Yotova and Parmelin also discussed the war in Ukraine, which Russia launched with a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Bulgarian president again said Europe does not have enough of a role in talks to end the war. "Switzerland is a symbol of peace," Yotova said. The Swiss president told her about an upcoming initiative for peace talks.