BULGARIA’S PRESIDENT RADEV ON A FIRST WORKING VISIT TO BRUSSELS

During his first working visit to Brussels on 30th of January, Bulgaria’s President Roumen Radev met with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani.

A week after he assumed office, President Radev chose his first working visit to be in Brussels, the capital of united Europe thus giving a sign he would work for Bulgaria’s Euro-Atlantic path.

Issues with migrant crisis was one of the topics Roumen Radev discussed with Donald Tusk. The two talked about possible greater support from EU for Bulgaria in protecting the external borders.

To a question of a possible nomination by Bulgaria of a new European Commissioner, to replace Kristalina Georgieva, President Radev said that it would be better if an elected government rather than a caretaker one nominate Bulgaria’s next EU commissioner. He added that if it became necessary, the caretaker cabinet would nominate the commissioner.

Radev thinks that the cohesion policy of the EU should be continued after 2020 with a focus on the youth employment. Sanctions against Russia were not among the topics discussed with Donald Tusk, Radev said.

On the trip to Brussels, Bulgaria’s President chose to be flying on an air force Spartan transport aircraft rather than the government Airbus, because the fuel costs were lower and because Radev wanted to see the military pilots he worked with until recently. (Before winning Bulgaria's 2016 presidential elections, Radev served as Commander of the Bulgarian Air Force). Using Spartan aircraft is not unprecedented. Radev’s predecessor President Plevneliev also used it to fly to Germany, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brussels.