United States and Bulgaria Sign Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement

The United States and the Republic of Bulgaria today signed a bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement during a ceremony at the U.S. Department of State. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed on behalf of the United States, and Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin signed on behalf of Bulgaria.

The new agreement provides a mechanism through which the United States and Bulgaria can broaden cooperation in all science and technology fields, and move forward in areas of collaboration such as marine sciences, energy, space, global stewardship, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, science and technology education, engineering, sustainable development, agriculture, natural resources, human nutrition and food safety. It is designed to promote and facilitate scientific exchanges and collaborations by government technical agencies, government-to-government exchanges, scientific partnerships between private, academic, and non-governmental entities, and engage the scientific community on such matters as the promotion of science-based decision-making. The Agreement establishes a framework to facilitate exchange of scientific results and provide protection for intellectual property rights, and will also help establish a regional dialogue on important science issues, such as the protection of the environment and biodiversity and the management of shared resources.