First visit as Prime Minister: Kiril Petkov talks with NATO Secretary General on Russia and Ukraine

first visit prime minister kiril petkov talks nato secretary general russia ukraine

Снимка:

от БНТ

15:07, 17.12.2021

First working visit of Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Kiril Petkov, to Brussels on December 17.

His first conversation was with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Alliance headquarters. The gathering of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, relations with Russia and the situation in the Black Sea were some of the topics discussed by Petkov and Stoltenberg. The two expressed satisfaction with the meeting and noted that the dialogue was constructive.

Bulgaria was highly praised for its efforts and contribution to stability in the Western Balkans region. The fact that Bulgaria reaffirmed its commitment to continue increasing defence spending is also highly appreciated.

Stoltenberg said he was looking forward to working with the Prime Minister, and Petkov invited the alliance's secretary general to Bulgaria.

We are currently witnessing a significant, gradual and continuing build-up of Russian troops around Ukraine - armed forces, artillery, tanks, electronic combat systems, drones and tens of thousands of troops on standby. There is no clarity about the intentions behind these actions, but Russia has used military force against Ukraine before. We hope for a good scenario, but we are preparing for the bad one. We are also seeing increasingly aggressive rhetoric from the Russian side, setting red lines, and this is causing growing concern among the Allies. NATO is closely monitoring Russia's actions, we have increased our intelligence capabilities, we share intelligence and we continue to support Ukraine with training and equipment. But we must ensure that we can protect all NATO allies. We do not see an immediate threat to any NATO ally, but we do see growing tensions. This is especially true for the allies in the Black Sea region, and Bulgaria is one of them, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

There can be a great deal of synergy between military and civilian infrastructure, which can also be used for military purposes. Perhaps a second bridge next to the one in Rousse over the Danube would be a very interesting point of strategic importance. In this sense, when we include this investment, I think we are meeting the target of 2% of GDP expenditures on defence, said Kiril Petkov.

Bulgaria plans to have constant communication and a constructive approach on the topic of Ukraine and Russia, Petkov added.

Our position is in full sync with that of NATO and the EU, as we have stated very clearly. We truly believe that a diplomatic and peaceful approach to potential conflicts is the best way to make progress. And I'm glad you confirmed that. This is our first meeting. I invited you to Bulgaria, I will be very happy to have the opportunity for a more detailed conversation at our next meeting. And when it comes to investing in defence, in new military infrastructure, in modernization, I think there is a lot to gain from such investments, especially if they are made with a smart and strategic approach. This would support NATO's capabilities, but also Bulgaria's economic development.