Belgium Pushes for Full Schengen Integration of Bulgaria and Romania
The Belgian Presidency of the EU is spearheading efforts to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area
HOT: » Assessing the Legacy of Bulgaria's "Denkov" Cabinet: Achievements, Failures, and What Comes Next
According to Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev, Bulgaria maintains well-coordinated and peaceful foreign policy.
In an interview for private bTV station on Tuesday, Nenchev was firm that Bulgaria does not have two foreign policies.
In his opinion, the country has a single foreign policy, there have never been discrepancies and each stance and decision is coordinated beforehand.
The defence minister was firm that neither he nor Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov had made any commitments to NATO or other Euro-Atlantic structures without first consulting Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
Nenchev added that no surprises can be expected from NATO as each decision is taken on the basis of deep analyses which sometimes last for months.
He explained that foreign policy decisions are taken after heavy discussions and in coordination with Borisov, Foreign Minister Mitov and President Rosen Plevneliev.
As regards the recent proposal of Borisov to turn the Black Sea into a demilitarised zone, Nenchev said that everyone dreams of peace.
He did not give concrete answer whether Russia poses a threat to Bulgaria, but said that threats could come from all sides.
According to him, due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the Crimea, Bulgaria can not remain indifferent to the developments happening just 400 kilometres away from its border.
Nenchev stated that channels for communication between NATO and Russia remained open.
In his words, Russia has been waging hybrid warfare on Bulgaria, in particular as concerns the spreading of disinformation.
The minister said that it is likely to have enhanced presence of NATO in the Black Sea, but this will be in the form of drills which are planned well beforehand.
Nenchev added that he would not support the restoration of compulsory military service as had been suggested in a bill tabled by the Patriotic Front (PF) last week.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
A comprehensive survey conducted by NATO has provided valuable insights into Bulgaria's perspectives on defense spending and collective defense obligations within the alliance
Bulgaria's defense expenditure for the year 2023 amounted to $1.9 billion (3.47 billion BGN), representing 1.87 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Defense Minister Todor Tagarev announced the successful dispatch of 100 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine
A potentially hazardous situation unfolded today near Varna's "Kabakum" beach as a floating mine was discovered in the sea, as reported by BNR
Bulgaria has experienced a staggering increase in arms imports, rising by 920% between 2019 and 2023 compared to the period of 2014 to 2018
A recent survey conducted by the World Association "Gallup International" sheds light on global attitudes towards fighting for one's country in the event of war
Norwegian Inspiration: Bulgaria's Move Towards Environmentally Friendly Prisons
Nexo Is Suing Bulgaria For Over $3 Billion