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1st International Australian rules football tournament on March 4, 2023, in Sofia, Bulgaria,

AFL Bulgaria, in cooperation with Bulgarian-Australian Business Council, presents the 2023 International Australian rules football Tournament in Sofia.

4 Teams from 3 countries competed for The Cup With The Martenitsa. The one-day tournament has a similar format to the AFL Europe’s EURO Cup and Champions League

🏆 The London team won the first International Australian Football Tournament in Sofia, the Bulgarians - a fourth 🏉

A special word of thanks goes to our sponsors, members and helpers without whose generous donations, their time and professionalism makes the 1st International Australian rules football tournament in Bulgaria the success that it deserves to be.

💰 Raffy Bar & Gelato, HLS Trade Ltd, Multiplan Pty Ltd

The participating teams include the current AFL London runner-up Wandsworth Demons and the top Israeli side Tel Aviv Cheetahs.

The hosting country was represented by the newly formed Bulgarian Bombers.

On the occasion of 50 years of diplomatic relations Bulgaria and Australia, the Bulgarian-Australian Business Council (BABC) gathered in Sofia diplomats and companies that develop the relations between the two countries. The event was attended by members of the council, business representatives, line ministries and directorates, as well as representatives of other chambers in Bulgaria.
We had the privilege of being able to taste Australian wine made by Dandelion Vineyards last night! A BIG thank you to Elena Brooks and her brother Todor Golakov and of course everyone who participated!
It was a huge success, and we owe it all to you.

Ambassador Arthur Spyrou in Bulgaria

To mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Ambassador Arthur Spyrou visited Bulgaria and met with the President of Bulgaria, H.E. Dr. Rumen Radev, the Foreign Minister, HE Ms Teodora Genchovska, the Deputy Foreign Minister, HE Dr Velislava Petrova, the Deputy Defence Minister, HE Dr Yordan Bozhilov, and the Minister of Energy, HE Mr Alexander Nikolov, thanking his interlocutors for their contribution to the warm friendship.

Sofia, May 2022

source: Australian Embassy, Greece (Facebook)

New Zealand has negotiated a free trade agreement with the European Union, one of the world's largest trading entities.

The European Commission concluded negotiations on a free trade deal with New Zealand on Thursday (30 June), that would slash much of the remaining tariffs between the two trading partners while keeping certain protections for European beef and sheep farmers and including unprecedented sustainability provisions.

After having focused on making the EU trade agenda more assertive in the past months and years, this is the first new free trade agreement (FTA) of the von der Leyen Commission. It could also be the first of a couple of FTAs that the Commission is trying to bring over the finishing line in the coming months.

“This trade agreement brings major opportunities for our companies, our farmers and our consumers, on both sides,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. With a hint at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, von der Leyen stressed the fact that it was a deal between democracies.

Enforceable sustainability provisions

On a visit to Brussels, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stressed that the EU and New Zealand shared the same values and showed content that, in her opinion, the trade agreement enshrined some of the values that New Zealand and the EU shared.

The FTA is the first deal to include the new EU approach towards trade and sustainable development that was only presented by the Commission last week.

For example, the FTA includes sanctionable commitments to respect the Paris Climate Agreement. Moreover, the trade agreement has binding provisions on labour standards and a chapter on trade and gender equality.

Executive Vice-President of the Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said: “Simply put, these are the most ambitious sustainability provisions put in any trade agreement ever.”

“If either side fails to meet its obligations, they are enforceable through sanctions,” he said while adding that the sanctions would only be used as a last resort. source euractiv