28 November 2025 | 15:03
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
NEWS
Radev: The war in Ukraine requires adequate measures to ensure security and deal with the secondary effects of the crisis
2022-06-10 17:41:00
Russia's war against Ukraine requires adequate measures both to ensure security in Eastern Europe and to deal with the secondary effects of the crisis. Ensuring security and predictability in international relations is key to faster recovery and limiting the damage from the hostilities. This is what President Rumen Radev said today at the B9 Summit taking place in Bucharest, Romania. The meeting brings together Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, which are coordinating positions on NATO's agenda ahead of the alliance's summit to be held in Madrid later this month.
Speaking at the forum, President Radev recalled that for years the Alliance had focused on conducting peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions abroad. However, the worsened security environment in Europe requires timely decisions on the modernisation and development of the member states' own defence capabilities. Rumen Radev pointed out that the military operations in Ukraine would certainly be reflected in the adoption of the new NATO strategic concept at the Madrid summit, but individual countries could not be only consumers of security and should invest the necessary resources for greater interoperability between their armed forces.
According to the President, interoperability between allies starts with the development and production of defence equipment. The Head of State reiterated his call on the member states of the Alliance to unite the efforts of their defence science and industry in common projects, which would also overcome the division in NATO into producer and buyer countries of defence equipment and weaponry.
Along with allied support for strengthening the eastern flank of the alliance, Rumen Radev also pointed to the need for solutions to support energy diversification in Southeast Europe, including the expansion of regional gas transmission infrastructure with NATO financial support. In the Head of State's words, the secondary effects of the war in Ukraine have a strong effect not only in terms of increased energy prices and inflation. They also pose a threat to food security in neighbouring regions. The President therefore called for timely action to support Ukraine's grain exports and prevent new waves of migration to Europe.
On the sidelines of the forum, President Radev held a bilateral meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis.
The B9 meeting also adopted a declaration of the participating countries:
https://www.presidency.ro/en/media/press-releases/declaration-of-the-heads-of-state-bucharest-9-meeting-bucharest-june-10-2022?fbclid=IwAR2KqjdTzsUiJBj7rIf_LGSRaXBtmLHo6lPOOFVv59-AXteM0fI6EOqpfDA
MORE FROM NEWS
24 November 2025 | 19:07
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.
13 November 2025 | 14:02
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.
12 November 2025 | 14:02
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