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Bulgaria will continue to develop its own defence capacity and strengthening the deterrent and defence potential of NATO's eastern flank, the president stressed in Riga before the B9 summit

 

The position of the B9 that each country should decide whether and how to provide support to Ukraine according to its capacity is in support of common sense and focuses on the search for a solution to achieve peace through negotiations, in accordance with the UN Charter. This was stated by head of state Rumen Radev to journalists in Riga before the start of the summit of the countries of the B9 group. NATO member countries Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland participate in the regional format for consultations and dialogue on security issues. Today's high-level meeting in the Latvian capital is attended by the new NATO member countries Sweden and Finland, as well as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

 

The head of state emphasised that our country was an active participant in the preparatory process of the Riga summit, and the initial proposal for a joint statement, which included the obligation of each B9 country to provide military aid to Ukraine, was changed on his initiative. As a result, the position was adopted that each country should decide on its own at its own discretion and according to its own capabilities whether and how to help Ukraine - whether with military, financial or humanitarian aid, said Rumen Radev.

 

According to the President, this is also a step towards shifting the focus from seeking solutions to this war on the battlefield, which is associated with many casualties and destruction, uncontrolled escalation and a growing risk to global peace, to seeking negotiated solutions in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. That is why we support in this joint statement the preparations for the summit in Switzerland, which will be difficult and with limited expectations from now on, because for full peace negotiations there must be representatives from both sides, but it is a very important first step towards a future peace process, the head of state stressed.

 

In response to a question, Rumen Radev pointed out that the regional cooperation format covers nine countries from NATO's eastern flank, and it is normal to have different views on the extent to which they should be involved in supporting Ukraine and the military solution to this conflict. I think we have to be aware of the realities. We all want international law to prevail as soon as possible, Ukraine to restore its territorial integrity and Russia to end its aggression, but we must take into account the realities, which are that Ukraine alone does not have the material, financial, or human resources to achieve this goals, the president noted.

 

The head of state stressed that there are two ways to end the war: one is through peace negotiations, and the other is through the provision of additional material, financial and human resources that Ukraine lacks from NATO countries. How do you see solving this big problem and achieving this goal that we all want to see? Will this be done at the cost of including additional material, financial and human resources of the NATO countries? Do you agree that we should take this path, which leads to an absolutely unknown destination and with a huge risk for global security, the president also stated.

 

Rumen Radev stressed that the B9 summit is extremely important against the background of the ongoing bloody war in Ukraine and in view of preparations for the NATO summit in Washington in July. This year's B9 summit is different, however, as for the first time there will not be a joint declaration by all participants, but only a statement from the co-chairs Poland and Romania, and the host Latvia, because no full consensus has been reached on the text of a joint declaration regarding the different views on how to achieve a way out of Russia's bloody war against Ukraine.

 

Rumen Radev also pointed out that Bulgaria will continue to develop its own defence capacity and contribute to strengthening the deterrent and defence potential of NATO's eastern flank. This year, our country also reaches the stipulated 2 percent of its gross domestic product defence spending. Finally, the parliament adopted the ambitious program for the modernisation of the Armed Forces, which had been prepared for a long time, and I expect the Bulgarian defence industry to find a wider place in this modernisation program, the head of state pointed out. The President also called for the implementation of many more systems in the process of modernisation of the Armed Forces, which would contribute to the inclusion of forces and assets in a single information space and to increase interoperability with our allies. Only with joint efforts can we face any challenges and guarantee our common security, President Rumen Radev also pointed out.

 

 

Statement by Head of State Iliana Iotova

For projects aimed at improving connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye must be viewed as a whole, to be successful, and within the context of closer cooperation in Southeastern Europe. This will bolster both economic development and security in the region, whose strategic importance is growing. This was stated by President Iliana Iotova at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is on a formal visit to Bulgaria.

Albulena Haxhiu expressed her gratitude to President Iotova for Bulgaria’s support on Kosovo’s path toward membership in NATO and the European Union.

Iliana Iotova raised the issue of depopulation in the area along the Bulgarian-Serbian border and highlighted the need for investment to counter the adverse demographic trend.