Sofia, 6 July 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia on Thursday for his first official visit to the country, the Bulgarian government announced.

Zelensky is expected to meet Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denokov and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel. The square in front of the seat of government and the presidential office in Sofia was closed to traffic for safety reasons.

It was initially unclear whether Zelensky would also meet with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev while in Sofia. Radev, a former fighter jet pilot and previous head of Bulgaria's air force, is considered pro-Russia.

Most recently, Radev rejected Bulgaria's participation in a joint European Union initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine.