Bulgaria Near the Bottom in Per Capita Defense Costs as Europe Boosts Military Budgets
Bulgaria spent around 2 billion euros on defense in 2024
Pictured: American Jewish Committee Director David Harris (right back) met with Bulgarian PM Borisov in Sofia in August. On Sunday, Borisov met with Harris and six other American Jewish leaders in New York. Photo by BGNES
Seven leading US Jewish organizations have asked Bulgaria for help within the EU and the UN against the Iranian nuclear program.
The call was made in New York City where Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had a meeting with the American Jewish leaders, reported the Bulgarian National Television.
The initial formal announcement of the press center of the Bulgarian Cabinet stated that Borisov had discussed investment opportunities in Bulgaria with the Jewish organizations.
According to the BNT report, however, the Jewish advocacy groups have expressed concern over Iran's nuclear program because it might endanger the safety of the State of Israel if it is not for peaceful but for military purposes.
That is why, as a UN and EU member, Bulgaria has been urged to support the international sanctions against Iran aimed at making it drop its nuclear enrichment program.
The national TV further says that the US Jewish leaders "promised investments in Bulgaria's agriculture" in exchange for the country's diplomatic support on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Borisov's meeting with the seven leading American Jewish organizations took place in the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York. It was attended by Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League; Daniel Mariaschin, Executive VP of B'nai B'rith International; David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee; Richard Gordon, President of teh American Jewish Congress; Ronald Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress; Richard Stone, President of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality, and Steven Schweiger; the General Director of the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov and the Bulgarian Ambassador to the USA, Elena Poptodorova, were also present at the meeting.
Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev told parliament that Bulgaria is following the situation of its communities across the Western Balkans with particular focus and, at times, concern
Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova has warned that relations between Sofia and Moscow are at historic lows
Bulgaria reiterated its unwavering backing for Ukraine’s pursuit of a just and durable peace, one that preserves the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and rests entirely on compliance with international law
Ukraine insists that any peace agreement must involve Kyiv, Europe, and the United States, and must focus on ending the war rather than allowing occupation
In 2026, Bulgaria will once again take the helm of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), marking its second term in this role
About a month after Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev controversially allowed Vladimir Putin to cross Bulgarian airspace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now taken a firm stance against Moscow
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence