The UN's role in conflict prevention and resolution must be strengthened and this depends on all of us, Rumen Radev stresses
The fight against irregular migration and human trafficking cannot be successful unless efforts are made to uncover their leadership centres in Western Europe and their funding networks. This is what President Rumen Radev told the media in New York. The head of state expressed his gratitude for the consistent support of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, with whom he held talks in NYC, for Bulgaria's accession to Schengen.
Responding to a journalist's question, Rumen Radev reminded that the human traffickers caught in Bulgaria are citizens of almost all EU member states and that is why the caretaker government initiated with the support of Europol the creation of a centre for countering illegal migration with a focus on investigating the financial and organisational networks of illegal trafficking in Europe. The President added that he was awaiting an answer from the Bulgarian government on the stage at which this centre was being set up.
The dialogue with Austria should not be limited to the political level, but the Bulgarian institutions should continue to work with the representatives of the scientific circles, public organisations and the media so that the Austrian society understands that Bulgaria is a reliable member of the EU, makes every effort to secure its borders and deserves to be in Schengen, the President further urged. He pointed out that he expects the active policy of the caretaker government for this country's accession to Schengen to be continued by the regular government so that, in his words, our voice is heard much louder.
In response to a question about the defused drone in Tyulenovo and the danger to the security of this country, Radev pointed out that when talking about national security, the Bulgarian citizen should feel that every invested lev guarantees his security. Primarily, this means investing in the modernisation of the Bulgarian army and its staff, for which emergency measures are needed to attract candidates with qualities, education and abilities, to train and retain them. It is equally important to enhance the capabilities of the Bulgarian Army and its interoperability with our allies. All this should be put first and not to look at the Bulgarian army as a donor and warehouse for supplying weapons and ammunition to other countries, Rumen Radev further stressed.
He said that the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior should provide more information on whether all procedures were followed in the disposal of the drone. However, the issue of the modernisation of the Armed Forces is on the agenda and along with the major projects for the acquisition of fighter jets, ships and armoured vehicles for the infantry, the smaller projects in terms of financial dimensions, but of great importance for Bulgaria's defence capabilities - surveillance, communication and control systems - should also be implemented.
Asked to what extent the question of whether the drone in Tyulenovo was Russian or Ukrainian is significant and whether there are attempts to extract political dividends from this, the head of state pointed out that the question is what this drone could have caused. But if it is Russian, you know what can follow from such cases. There was a similar case in Poland when a missile fell and killed two innocent civilians, it turned out to be Ukrainian, Radev added.
It is no coincidence that I said that war, the way we are treating it, will increase its intensity, and expand its spatial reach. The Black Sea is already a war zone and drones are being shot down, mines are floating, merchant ships are being intercepted by warships and warships are being sunk there. And if we don't take measures and understand that we have to put an end to this war as soon as possible, it will inevitably creep towards us, Rumen Radev stressed.
He added that in their statements after the opening of the general debate in the UN General Assembly both Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the presidents of the US, Turkey, Brazil and Portugal expressed deep concern about the escalating crises, but the common message was the word reform. Because the world has changed, but the international institutions on which peace and the well-being of humanity depend have not, in the words of Antonio Guterres, and this requires changes both in the structure and composition of the Security Council and in the way it makes its decisions. The UN's role in preventing conflicts and resolving them must be strengthened and this depends on all of us, President Rumen Radev concluded.