NEWS

 

The National Recovery and Resilience Plans are an investment in modernisation, solidarity, and in the shared power and future of the EU. The Bulgarian Recovery and Resilience Plan is being drafted and will be presented in July 2021, stated President Rumen Radev, who, alongside other leaders of EU Member States, participated in a videoconference call with the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

 

The discussion was held at the initiative of Mr. Charles Michel within the preparation of the European Council meeting to take place on the 24th and 25th of June in Brussels. The measures for economic recovery following the Coronavirus pandemic, migration and other topics were discussed.

 

Although the pandemic has not yet passed, Mr. Rumen Radev called for European mechanisms for crisis response to be strengthened and for the resilience of the healthcare systems of Member States to be increased. The Head of State emphasised that in a crisis situation the European Union demonstrated its readiness to act decisively and innovatively, and that it is up to Member States to use the resources provided in the most effective manner.

 

The President expressed our country’s desire to donate vaccines to the Republic of North Macedonia and called for easing the procedures in this regard.

 

“Bulgaria pays special attention to the external dimension of migration as an important pillar of the EU’s general approach in this field,” the Head of State further noted, and welcomed deepening cooperation with countries from neighbouring regions. The President also pointed out that the EU still needs a response plan in case of a sharp rise in migration flows. “We must be prepared and have precise and clear instructions on what resources and how many people we will need for the response in the event of such a situation,” Mr. Rumen Radev said.

 

The current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, EU relations with Russia and Turkey, as well as with Belarus were also discussed. 

 

In his speech, the president pointed out that Bulgaria highly values its relations with Iraq, which is an important partner in the Middle East region

Taking advantage of their geostrategic position, Bulgaria and Georgia have the potential to deepen their connectivity in various areas such as transport, energy, and the digital sector, which will contribute to promoting the economy, investment, and prosperity in the Black Sea region. This was stated by President Rumen Radev, who held a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili.

The two were unanimous that restoring peace in Europe through diplomacy is a priority for the EU and the only way to ensure the long-term security and stability of the Old Continent.

The President recalls that the institution of the Special Commercial Administrator (SCA) was introduced by an Act adopted in 2023, which also established a number of safeguards against potential abuse and arbitrariness — safeguards of the kind already adopted in other European states faced with similar circumstances, with the objective of minimising the risk of subsequent financial claims against the State