Bulgarian position for Nato Summit ‘fully reflects national interest, reaffirms consistent support for Ukraine’
Bulgaria’s position for the Nato Summit in Washington, which the caretaker government approved, fully reflects the Bulgarian national interest and reaffirms consistent support for Ukraine, both at the national and allied levels, the government information service said on June 28.
The position is fully compliant with the decisions of the National Assembly, the statement said.
The statement comes after days of political melodrama that saw a row over who would represent Bulgaria at the Nato Summit being held in Washington DC from July 9 to 11.
Episodes in this row have included President Roumen Radev, whose policy positions on Russia’s war on Ukraine are at odds with those of the government, declining a request from the caretaker government to attend the summit as the delegation’s head.
There were also calls from pro-Kremlin minority party Vuzrazhdane for caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev – who is set to head the delegation to the summit – to brief Parliament on Bulgaria’s position.
The government statement said that the Bulgarian position had been developed in detail over nearly a year by the Permanent Delegation of Bulgaria to Nato, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The document is classified as is always done when it comes to the positions of the Republic of Bulgaria on foreign policy issues and current international issues, unregulated access to which would adversely affect the interests of the state,” the statement said.
“One reason is that the document references a number of other internal Alliance processes and allied materials, including top-secret ones.”
Regardless of the fact that it is not subject to publication, the document for the summit in Washington does not contain any positions that differ from those previously stated by Bulgaria, the statement said.
These included that Bulgaria remains fully committed to the strong and united response of Nato, the EU and the international democratic community to the brutal Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
“Our country firmly supports Ukraine in its just cause to assert its right to freedom and independence and independently choose its own security guarantees,” the statement said.
“A peaceful outcome of the war cannot be at the expense of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia should respect international law.”
The statement said that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a conflict between these two countries and Nato should not be a direct participant in this war.
Bulgaria is for the reaffirmation of Nato’s support for Kyiv – with military equipment, with training of personnel outside the territory of Ukraine, it said.
“Our country supports the plans that were developed at the insistence of the countries on the Eastern flank and the presence of Nato troops on the Eastern flank. This strengthens the Alliance’s defensive capabilities and further ensures collective defence.”
So far, there had been no discussion and no discussion is planned about sending Bulgarian troops to Ukraine, the statement said.
Bulgaria is ready to continue providing military technical assistance to Ukraine, it said.
“So far, our country has provided a total of six packages of military technical assistance, which is not gratuitous and is compensated on three lines – the European instrument for peace, international financial support or through other allied countries.
“In the context of celebrating the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria’s membership in Nato and the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Alliance, our country remains a faithful and reliable partner for the common security policy of the North Atlantic Treaty,” the statement said.
(Archive photo: US Air Force)
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