Celina Ali Islamabad: The German Embassy in Islamabad has introduced a new Consular Services Portal to simplify and accelerate the application process for all types of work visas for Pakistani citizens. The embassy announced that the online system, accessible at digital.diplo.de/visa, will increase the number of visas processed and eliminate the need for waiting lists. […]

Newswire Sofia: This week, Euro zone finance ministers officially recommended that Bulgaria join the euro area on January 1, 2026, making it the 21st member of the euro zone. This recommendation follows earlier favorable assessments of Bulgaria’s readiness by both the European Commission and the European Central Bank. The country has been preparing for this […]

Newswire Sofia: An exhibition of the work of two Turkish photographers documents a dark chapter of Bulgaria’s history – the forced assimilation and deportation of its ethnic Turkish minority. The Bulgarian Communist regime’s persecution of the country’s Turkish minority is highlighted at a photography exhibition, called “Banishment”, on view until July 20 in Sofia, part […]

Celina Ali Islamabad: Helvetas Germany, in partnership with the European Union, has officially launched the Capacity-Building for Socially Diligent Agribusinesses (CSDA) project at a high-level event in Lahore , bringing together leading representatives from government, industry, civil society, international development partners, co-implementers and affiliates. The CSDA project aims to strengthen human rights due diligence and […]

Newswire Sofia: Kazakhstan and Bulgaria intend to establish a joint Business Council, Kazinform News Agency quoted President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as saying during the extended talks with the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev. “We would like to reaffirm Kazakhstan’s commitment to the promotion of mutually beneficial partnership with Bulgaria. We view your country as a major, […]

Celina Ali Islamabad: As part of a growing commitment to cultural diplomacy and mutual understanding, Her Excellency Irena Gancheva, the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Pakistan, this week formally inaugurated an exhibition titled “The Ancient Treasures of Bulgaria” at a distinguished cultural venue in Islamabad. The exhibition, which opened to an enthusiastic audience of diplomats, historians, […]

Newswire Berlin: A Berlin court said this week that Germany must adhere to the EU’s Dublin procedure when turning back asylum-seekers at the border. The ruling challenges a new migration policy, and the government says pushbacks will continue. The Berlin Administrative Court ruled that the rejection of asylum-seekers at border controls is unlawful unless carried […]

Berin: For decades, some in Europe talked up the need for “collective European defense,” a policy to sharply reduce dependence on Washington for military protection. The debate never got far because Britain and Germany saw no reason to jeopardize transatlantic ties with a drive for security independence. When Russia launched a full-on invasion of Ukraine […]

Newswire Sofia: Life expectancy at birth of the Bulgarian population, calculated for the period 2022 – 2024, is 75.6 years, an increase of 2.1 years compared with the 2021 – 2023 period, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on May 22. Different mortality rates among males and females, as well as among urban and rural […]

London: Britain and Germany will jointly develop a new “deep precision strike” weapon with a range exceeding 2,000km, the British government said this week, as Europe’s two largest economies step up their defence cooperation. The project builds on a commitment made in 2024 to develop new weapons, when both countries signed a bilateral defence pact […]

Newswire Sofia: Bulgaria is preparing to replace EU cohesion funds with private investments and long-term concessions for rebuilding its critical public infrastructure, PM Rosen Zhelyazkov announced this week, citing the need for financial and strategic partners in the country’s future infrastructure development. Over the past 18 years, Bulgaria has been a major beneficiary of EU […]

Newswire Berlin: Germany has asked the European Commission for an exemption from European Union borrowing limits in order to increase defence spending in the coming years, according to a letter from German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies this week. Kukies said in an interview that Germany was likely to request the exemption. The European Commission has […]

Newswire Sofia: In the global race to become the next big tech hotspot, many countries pour billions into nurturing homegrown talent, courting VCs, and crafting startup-friendly policies. While some struggle to gain momentum, others seem to leap forward—fast. So, what sets apart these rapid risers? What’s the secret to ecosystem transformation? Look no further than […]

Chris Lunday Berlin: Berlin’s incoming government, formed by Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), has released a coalition agreement outlining plans for a new voluntary military service to rebuild the overstretched and steadily shrinking ranks of Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr. The plan involves sending a mandatory questionnaire to all […]

Newswire Sofia: The Ministry of Energy of Bulgaria has selected 82 winning energy storage projects for a share of BGN 1.15 billion (€588 million/US$670 million) in financial support. The scheme will support the construction and commissioning of 82 standalone energy storage projects with a total of BGN1,149,013,428.49 spread across the projects, which will add up […]

Newswire Berlin: Germany’s next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says he will travel to Paris and Warsaw as soon as possible and coordinate closely with both capitals on confronting Donald Trump. In an interview with German tabloid Bild, Merz gave an insight into his foreign policy planning for his first days in office which is expected to […]

Newswire Sofia: According to recent data from the Trend Research Center, shared during the “Personal Finance” event by Money.bg, 38% of Bulgarians are unable to set aside any savings. Among those who do manage to save, only a small number allocate over 10% of their income, and just 1% save more than 30%. Interestingly, residents […]

Nadine Mena Michollek Berlin: More than 4,000 exhibitors are expected to showcase their innovations at what is billed as the world’s largest industrial trade fair, with visitors from approximately 150 countries expected. As in previous years, the fair is a must on the calender especially of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from Germany and elsewhere, […]

Newswire Sofia: An unexpected discovery emerged during preparatory work for the installation of a natural gas pipeline near the village of Borimechkovo in the Pazardzhik region of Bulgaria. Workers uncovered the remains of a Late Roman period settlement covering an area of 4,400 square meters, according to Enikos. Archaeologists swiftly stepped in and found a […]

Berlin: The armed forces are also a focus, with Merz and the Social Democrats committed to a massive military buildup after years of neglect, as well as continued backing for Ukraine. Germany’s move to unlock hundreds of billions of euros in debt-financed defense and infrastructure spending passed its final legislative hurdle on Friday when lawmakers […]

Newswire Sofia: In a post on X this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had had a meaningful conversation with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov and had “expressed gratitude for Bulgaria’s unwavering support for Ukraine”. “We deeply appreciate the solidarity of the Bulgarian people,” said Zelenskyy, who is attending the special European Council […]

Celina Ali Islamabad: Pakistan’s trade future is receiving a vote of confidence from German trade leader Dr. Michael Arretz, Managing Director of the German Importers Association, who is demonstrating this through significant investments and initiatives. Dr. Arretz is currently in Pakistan, actively training local textile manufacturers, investing in the “Green Pakistan” project, and working to […]

Newswire Sofia: Bulgaria’s Interior Minister, Daniel Mitov, said this week that the country’s border with Türkiye is among the best-protected external European Union frontiers, based on the statistical data. The Minister said that the Interior Ministry is managing quite well the increasing amounts of drugs being seized and human traffickers arrested along Bulgaria’s Schengen borders, […]

Celina Ali Islamabad: In a significant step toward advancing climate action, prominent government leaders from Pakistan and Germany convened at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) for a high-level bilateral meeting. The discussions focused on strengthening Pakistan’s carbon market rules and regulations, policies, integrity, and infrastructure, with an emphasis on leveraging climate […]

Newswire Sofia: Bulgaria had the lowest percentage in the European Union of internet users who made online purchases in 2024, EU statistics agency Eurostat said this week. Online shopping in the EU continues to expand, according to the latest annual survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals, Eurostat said. In 2024, 77 per […]

Newswire Sofia: Customs officers from the district of Rousse in Bulgaria have stopped an attempt to smuggle 1620kg of refrigerant at the border with Romania. The truck, driven by a Bulgarian national, was stopped on the ring road of the city Vidin on the approach to the Vidin to Calafat bridge crossing to Romania. Also […]

Munich: Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany on Saturday accused Vice President JD Vance of unacceptably interfering in his country’s imminent elections on behalf of a party that has played down the atrocities committed by the Nazis 80 years ago. A day after Mr. Vance stunned the Munich Security Conference by telling German leaders to drop […]

Celina Ali Islamabad: Pakistan this week sought technical support from Germany to develop its climate action plans and accelerate the transition to clean energy sources, according to Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam. During a meeting with a three-member delegation from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, led […]

Sofia: The newly elected government in Sofia this week reaffirmed its commitment to the country’s entry into the eurozone in 2026 and promised to keep a tight lid on budget spending. PM Rosen Zhelyazkov announced that the 2025 budget will set a deficit of no more than 3%, which would meet the Maastricht criteria, amid […]

Newswire Sofia: Bulgaria has made progress in meeting the convergence criteria for joining the eurozone, according to European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde. Speaking at a news conference, she noted that the assessment primarily falls under the European Commission’s jurisdiction but emphasized that the process in Bulgaria is advancing. Lagarde highlighted that the ECB’s […]

Vanessa Wachtmeister Berlin: At the age of 33, I sometimes feel like I’ve already lived a thousand lives. I’m originally from Los Angeles, and over the last decade, I’ve done everything from teaching English in China to serving as an emergency aid worker in Turkey during the war in Syria. After I completed my master’s […]

Newswire Sofia: In 2024, Bulgaria secured approximately 32 billion leva in EU funding. A significant portion of these funds has been directed toward large-scale infrastructure ventures, making a visible impact across the country. Sofia received the largest portion, totalling 6.2 billion leva. Significant investments include expanding the Sofia Metro and other critical infrastructure upgrades. Plovdiv […]

Newswire Sofia: The Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Kondov, said this week that Bulgaria has made significant progress in meeting the needed requirements for inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program. Among the technical requirements for inclusion in this program is maintaining a tourist visa refusal rate for Bulgarians under three per cent. While […]