Easter Monday in Bulgaria: Tradition and Family Visits
Orthodox Easter Monday is the day following Easter Sunday and is observed across Bulgaria as part of the wider Easter celebration within the Orthodox Christian tradition
HOT: » Which party would you vote for (if you could) in the upcoming snap vote in Bulgaria on April 19?
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev (L) and his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis (R) inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 15, 2016. Photo: EPA/BGNES
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has tabled to Bulgaria a proposal to create a joint Black Sea fleet to counter Russia, reiterating an earlier offer by authorities, daily 24 reports, citing government sources.
"This is an attempt at involving Bulgaria in another conflict. Nothing requires that additional troops should be deployed to the region. I don't need a war in the Black Sea," the daily quotes Bulgaria's Prime Minister Borisov as telling Iohannis on Wednesday during their meeting in Sofia.
Iohannis is on a two-day visit to Bulgaria, more than a year following his counterpart Plevneliev's arrival to Bucharest.
Plevneliev supports the initiative suggested by the Romanian head of state, which would bring together units of Bulgaria and Romania with some of Ukraine and Turkey.
There is no way for Bulgarians to feel safe when they are surrounded by a myriad of "frozen conflicts" used to place them in permanent dependency, Plevneliev is reported as saying, hinting it is Russia that works toward this end.
Iohannis' visit comes amid a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels as part of the preparation for the Warsaw Summit of the alliance due in July.
Speaking after the Brussels talks, the defense ministers of Bulgaria and Romania, Nikolay Nenchev and Mihnea Motoc embraced a proposal to deploy troops for a multinational brigade based in Romania that would provide training on a rotational basis.
However, while Plevneliev has embraced the idea, Borisov is skeptical of a possible deployment, which according to Nenchev might amount to some 400 troops.
Unlike the President, whose rhetoric often targets Russia as a potential threat to security and stability in Europe and condemns its activities in Ukraine, Borisov has been wary of any inflamatory statement, repeatedly declaring Sofia would like to improve relations with Moscow that have been strained in light of the developments in Ukraine.
The personnel deficit in the Bulgarian Armed Forces stood at 20.5% in 2025, marking a slight improvement of 1.8 percentage points compared to the previous year, according to the Report on the State of Defence and the Armed Forces, approved by the caretake
Acting Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov has stated that Bulgaria is not taking on any military obligations under the ten-year security cooperation agreement with Ukraine
Acting defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that the concept of Bulgaria relying on its own defense outside a collective system would place an unsustainable burden on the country’s economy and public finances
Journalist Hristo Rimpopov told Bulgarian National Radio that there is no basis to assume Bulgaria could become a target of Iranian attacks, following confirmation by the Foreign Ministry that Tehran had sent a diplomatic note concerning the presence of U
Acting Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski has stated categorically that Bulgaria will not take part in any military coalition aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, citing the country’s limited capabilities
The Council of Ministers has adopted the Report on the State of Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2025, which was submitted to both the National Assembly and the public, outlining an overall assessment of military readiness and
Aniventure Comic Con Returns to Bulgaria with Star Guest Christopher Judge!
Global Fuel Shock: Oil Jumps Over 40% Since Iran War Began