NEWS

President at MSC: Major Challenge is Not to Allow War in Europe to Be Accepted As Normal Phenomenon

International community should finally focus on the cessation of Russia-Ukraine hostilities and the search for a peaceful solution by political means, President says ahead of MSC

The major challenge for the international community is not to allow the war in Europe to become a normal phenomenon, President Rumen Radev told the media ahead of his participation in the Munich Security Conference (MSC). The head of State stressed that the profound contradictions between Russia and Ukraine will hardly be resolved through war. This war can even less lead to sustainable peace.

Regrettably, the voices on both sides for victory, regardless of the human toll, the destruction, and the cost, are increasingly suffocating the calls for peace, Radev said. That is why, in the President's words, it is crucial that the international community finally focuses on finding ways to ending the hostilities and resuming dialogue so that the war finds its resolution mainly through political means.

The head of State also recalled that over the years the MSC has established itself as a leading platform for debating the problems in the global security environment. It is likewise significant that in the midst of the war in Ukraine, the MSC reminded the attendees of its motto of building peace through dialogue, which, in the President's words, should be the path that both Ukraine and Russia, as well as Europe and the world, should strive to follow. Furthermore, this war is destroying the global security architecture, has already become a global economic clash, and has entered the phase of a war of attrition not only for the two belligerents. Every day of this war is a threat to world peace, and its secondary effects are holding hostage the economic and social systems of all European countries, Radev pointed out.

The head of State also reminded that the upcoming international forum would address topics such as the state of democracy and the respect for human rights. Let us not forget that we still have a human rights problem in Europe as well, and let us see the state of the rights of the Macedonian Bulgarians in our southwestern neighbour, the President added.

Among the MSC highlights will be the process of the birth of a geopolitical Europe, in which Bulgaria has its active position with its policies in energy, economy, and security. Ideas and projects that lead to real diversification and security of energy supplies not only for this country but also for our partners and allies involved in the process, Radev stressed. He exemplified this with the alternative oil supplies to the Bulgarian refinery through the resumption of the Alexandroupolis-Burgas oil pipeline project, the access to LNG slots and to the gas transmission networks of Turkiye and Greece. And the project that Bulgaria initiated: the Solidarity Ring, to unite the capacity of the gas transmission networks of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria, which creates real energy diversification.

The President also stressed that the protection of the external European borders and the deployment of the necessary infrastructure for this is of prime importance for this country, which awaits increased support from the European Commission and the EU member states. EC officials are due to visit Bulgaria to discuss on the spot all possibilities for decisive support to this country through substantial European funding.