Bulgarian leaders welcome Sweden’s accession to Nato
Bulgarian government leaders have welcomed Sweden’s accession to Nato.
Sweden became Nato’s newest member on March 7, on depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the government of the United States in Washington DC. With Sweden’s accession, Nato now counts 32 countries among its members.
In a message on X (twitter.com), Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov expressed a warm welcome to Sweden as a Nato member, saying that Nato was “live and kicking…providing security to more than one billion citizens”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel expressed congratulations, saying on X: “For a larger and more united Alliance, promoting Euro-Atlantic values and tackling global challenges together”.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence, on its website, expressed congratulations to Sweden on the occasion of the country’s accession to the most powerful defence alliance in the world.
Sweden would contribute to increasing security in the Baltic region, Nato’s Eastern flank and for the entire Euro-Atlantic area, the Defence Ministry said.
Sweden’s accession to Nato sends a clear political message about the importance of the Alliance in ensuring security in Europe. It also opens up additional opportunities for enhanced bilateral defence cooperation, the ministry said.
Finland and Sweden submitted their applications to join Nato on May 18 2022, soon after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The protocols for the accession of the two countries to the Alliance were signed on July 5 2022 in Brussels.
On July 13 2022, Bulgaria’s National Assembly ratified the protocols for the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on March 7: “This is a historic day”.
“Sweden will now take its rightful place at Nato’s table, with an equal say in shaping Nato policies and decisions,” Stoltenberg said.
“After over 200 years of non-alignment Sweden now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of Allies’ freedom and security. Sweden brings with it capable armed forces and a first-class defence industry.
“Sweden’s accession makes Nato stronger, Sweden safer and the whole Alliance more secure. Today’s accession demonstrates that Nato’s door remains open and that every nation has the right to choose its own path,” he said.
Sweden’s flag will be raised alongside those of the other 31 Allies in a ceremony at Nato headquarters in Brussels on March 11, and simultaneously at Nato commands across Europe and North America.
(Photo: Nato)
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