Security on Nato eastern flank discussed as Polish, Bulgarian FMs meet
Support from Western allies is a major priority in securing Nato’s eastern flank, the foreign ministers of Poland and Bulgaria agreed in talks in Warsaw on June 7, Poland’s foreign ministry said.
Bilateral relations, the upcoming Nato Summit in Warsaw as well as regional co-operation were among the main topics of discussion between Polish foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski and his Bulgarian counterpart Daniel Mitov, who was on an official visit to Poland.
“Our two countries are friends. Our bilateral relations are very good,” Poland’s Witold Waszczykowski told journalists after his meeting with Bulgaria’s foreign minister
“There are no serious problems between our countries,” Mitov said.
At their talks on June 7, the two foreign ministers also discussed the dynamically developing trade levels between Poland and Bulgaria. They also pointed to the co-operation between the Polish and Bulgarian defence industry sectors – an apparent reference to the fact that Poland is handling the maintenance of the Bulgarian Air Force’s ageing Soviet-era MiG-29s, pending Bulgaria’s upgrade to the acquisition of Western-made multi-role jet fighters that will meet Nato standards.
An important topic touched on during the June 7 talks was the issue of security and the situation in Eastern Europe, including the conflict in Ukraine, Poland’s foreign ministry said.
“When it comes to the threats emanating from the East, we should receive support from our Western allies, support consisting of the deployment of Alliance forces on the territory of the Eastern Flank stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. This is a priority for both of our countries,” Waszczykowski said.
“We are grateful to Bulgaria for its co-operation regarding strengthening and increasing stability in the region,” Poland’s foreign minister said. “We face important decisions in July, during the Nato Summit in Warsaw, which will also decide on how Europe and Nato will respond to incoming threats,” the Polish foreign minister said.
Mitov and Waszczykowski said that Bulgaria not only continues to be a close ally of Poland within the Nato and EU framework, it is also an attractive tourist destination for Polish tourists. Poles are now the fourth largest group of visitors to the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.
(Photo: Poland’s Foreign Ministry)
