NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visits Bulgaria

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on 1st of March said he welcomed Bulgaria's efforts to reach 2% of GDP defence spending, as are the Pact's requirements. Stoltenberg said we should prepare for an increasingly insecure world with the exit of Russia from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that Stoltenberg and him did not discuss energy projects, that the visit does not coincide with the forthcoming visit of Russian Prime Minister Medvedev to Bulgaria and that Bulgaria is not the Trojan horse of Russia in NATO.

Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO appreciated Bulgaria's loyalty and commitment as a NATO ally and thanked our country for starting the process of joining the Republic of North Macedonia to the Alliance. He added that the world is in a new global phase of uncertainty after Russia's new generations of missiles, which could be very difficult to intercept.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General: In an increasingly unpredictable world, it is important for our friends and allies to be more effective in tackling the different security challenges. This includes Russia's breaking the agreement to stop using midieum-range missiles. This treaty has existed for a decade, we do not want a new Cold War, so we are calling on Russia to observe this treaty. At the same time, we should be prepared for a world without this treaty.

Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria: We have not talked about energy projects. Moreover, you have heard, we want and we are looking for a dialogue with Russia.

Not only that Bulgaria is not the Trojan horse of Russia in NATO, it is the opposite - Bulgaria is one of the most disciplined, loyal members of NATO, Borissov added.

After the meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the NATO Secretary General arrived in the presidency for a meeting with the head of state, President Rumen Radev. At the beginning of the meeting, the President pointed out that Bulgaria is moving forward the three projects for the realization of the Bulgarian army.

Rumen Radev - President of the Republic of Bulgaria: We realize that the implementation of these three projects does not solve the issue of the modernization of our army. This is a complex process. We hope to continue working on the implementation of NATO's 2019 political goals in the best possible way.

This is Jens Stoltenberg's second visit to Bulgaria after taking the post of NATO Secretary General in 2014.

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