Bulgaria’s new Defence Minister holds talks with Ukrainian ambassador
The possibilities of Bulgaria providing humanitarian and military-technical assistance to Ukraine were discussed at a meeting between Defence Minister Todor Tagarev and Ukrainian ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk, the Defence Ministry said.
The meeting was held on June 9, three days after Tagarev took office as part of Bulgaria’s newly-elected government.
“Bulgaria supports the struggle for freedom of the Ukrainian people and the efforts to restore the international legal order, as well as the aspiration for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine,” Tagarev said during the talks.
“The political leadership of the Ministry of Defence is committed to deepening bilateral defence cooperation,” he said.
Tagarev expressed concern about the consequences of the demolition of the wall of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine. Bulgaria is ready to assist in overcoming the crisis, he said.
Ilashchuk expressed gratitude for the humanitarian and military-technical assistance provided by Bulgaria, the statement said.
Earlier, speaking to reporters on June 7, Tagarev said: “It is necessary to continue providing assistance to Ukraine. This is extremely important to guarantee our security.
“What exactly we will give depends on many other things – on the actual needs at the moment, on what we have at the moment,” he said.
“There must be permission from the National Assembly and that’s exactly how we will act – in a transparent and clear way, as should be done in a parliamentary republic,” Tagarev said.
“Ukraine’s security and independence are extremely important for our entire region to be secure for years to come,” he said.
Tagarev said that a meeting in the Ramstein format ahead of a meeting Nato defence ministers Brussels, he expects to receive clearer information about the specific requests at the moment.
“This is important because needs change gradually. We will see what we can best help with,” Tagarev said.
(Photo: Defence Ministry)
Please support The Sofia Globe’s independent journalism by becoming a subscriber to our page on Patreon:
