President Iliana Iotova: Bulgaria Is Not Involved in a War; It Is Not a Party to the Conflict in the Middle East

Bulgaria is not involved in a war, Bulgaria is not a party to the conflict in the Middle East, and Bulgarian airspace has not been ceded to a foreign power, President Iliiana Iotova said during an interview on the current affairs programme Panorama on July 24, commenting on the decision to deploy US aerial refuelling aircraft at Bezmer Air Base.

Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria:“We are not participating with either weapons or personnel. The Bulgarian government acted honestly. In response to the US diplomatic note, the matter was submitted to the National Assembly for a decision, because that is what Bulgarian law requires. In Parliament, everyone had the opportunity to express their opinion, present their point of view, defend their position and vote accordingly. The governing majority and the government assumed their responsibility. I would like to commend all the parliamentary groups that remained in the chamber to vote and demonstrated their position. That is responsibility. I believe it is a responsibility towards us, the Bulgarian voters. I regret that some perhaps lacked the courage, or decided it was better not to take part in the vote and, in that way, not to express their position."

Commenting on calls to convene the Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS), the President said:

Iliiana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: "I read Ms Nadezhda Yordanova's letter very carefully. I familiarised myself with her arguments, her expectations, as well as the proposals for the Consultative Council made by the GERB political party. I am a person who believes in dialogue. However, at this moment I would convene the Consultative Council under two scenarios. The first is this: we are monitoring the situation in the Middle East very closely, literally on an hourly basis. In fact, I received an update just before entering this studio. If, in the coming days, the conflict expands, if there is a direct threat to Bulgaria, as well as to the wider region, if this conflict and its new phase continue for a sufficiently long period and Bulgaria, like many other countries, faces serious consequences—whether in terms of prices, fuel supplies or migration flows—then yes, such circumstances would indeed justify a well-prepared meeting of the Consultative Council, bringing everyone together."

The Head of State added that before any potential convening of the Consultative Council, she would like to hold talks with the parliamentary parties.

Iliiana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: “For me, the Consultative Council is a place for consensus and a place to look toward the future. Bulgaria has long needed a new national security strategy. Even the one we currently have is now hopelessly outdated. Everything around us is changing so rapidly, and the challenges are becoming ever more significant. There are two conflicts—the Middle East and Ukraine. Bulgaria must position itself in a highly responsible, clear and consistent manner, and whichever government is in office afterwards should adhere to that framework, because Bulgaria must be a predictable country, including on the issue of the aircraft."