23287 | 28 May 2026 | 09:38
Bulgaria has a significant contribution to NATO's security, said Prime Minister Rumen Radev during his meeting with the Secretary General of the pact, Mark Rutte, in Brussels today. Radev noted that our country has achieved the goal of investing in defense, equal to two percent of GDP, and consistently strives to increase it to five percent.
The Prime Minister pointed out that NATO's task is to protect every inch of the alliance's territory. In such challenging times, NATO must ensure strong investments in defense, have a clear vision and applicable strategy, and a realistic approach to challenges, he added.
We must achieve a balanced mix of capabilities to improve national defense capabilities and contribute to NATO's overall capabilities, said the Bulgarian Prime Minister, quoted by BTA.
He added that our country has provided significant investments for modernizing the Bulgarian armed forces, including with domestically produced resources.
It is important to invest in people as well, to have common standards for recruiting and retaining employees, the Prime Minister noted. He believes that the war in Ukraine has shown the need for motivated and dedicated personnel, he added.
Bulgaria is an important ally and helps in the defense of the eastern flank of NATO, Rute emphasized. The Black Sea and Bulgaria play a key role for the alliance, as the country is a host to out-of-area forces, which I have visited before and was very impressed, he added. According to him, Bulgaria has an important contribution to the capabilities of KFOR. Rute pointed out that the military industry in Bulgaria supports the entire alliance. Rute added that President Radev and him have been good friends for many years.
Later today, Prime Minister Radev will be successively received by the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
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