Prime Minister Zhelyazkov Commented in Varna on the Tensions Surrounding the Arrest of Mayor Blagomir Kotsev

"In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, there are two fundamental principles: the presumption of innocence and the independence of the judiciary. If we wish to uphold the rule of law, both must be respected," Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov said in Varna, regarding the growing tensions surrounding the arrest of the city’s mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, on July 18.

• Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, Remains in Custody, Court of Appeals Ruled

The Prime Minister is in Varna to attend the national naval exercise "Breeze 2025", taking place in the Bay of Varna.

"The 29th edition of the naval exercise begins at a particularly significant and tense geopolitical moment. However, the tasks set out are not aimed at simulating combat operations against an adversary.

A very important task of this exercise is interoperability between NATO allies and with agencies, government and non-government sectors in Bulgaria.

These drills are designed not only to rehearse combat tactics but also to address disaster response, emergency situations, mine countermeasures, and oil spill containment.

Next week, we will be working with the Defence Minister, military leadership, and the Ministry of Finance to finalise the national plan and resource allocation under the 'SAFE' mechanism. The Bulgarian armed forces are entering an accelerated phase of modernisation."

From aboard the frigate "Verni", part of the Bulgarian Navy, the Prime Minister will observe live demonstrations of maritime combat operations—specifically, a crisis response scenario. The participats will showcase their skills in joint tasks and a high level of interaction in their execution.

This year’s edition of Exercise Breeze features military personnel from Albania, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, the United States, Turkey, and France.

During the demonstrations it will be possible to observe the joint work between 18 ships, four aircraft, two helicopters and their crews, which will solve different types of tasks under international command. This makes the exercise as close as possible to real cases that could arise for the naval forces and demonstrates their preparedness to manage them effectively.