President Radev: Bulgaria actively participates in all NATO exercises in the Black Sea region

The economic development of the Black Sea region has been interrupted by the war in Ukraine and the negative consequences of the conflict are yet to be assessed, President Rumen Radev told the participants in the conference titled "The Black Sea: The Near Middle East" on November 22. Radev called for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine.

Bulgaria should be committed to strengthening peace and security in the Black Sea region, the Head of State said.

"Representing Bulgaria in international relations, in all high-level and top-level meetings and forums, I am among the voices that insist on an immediate end to the war in Ukraine and on finding a solution and regulating the conflict through the means of diplomacy. By peaceful means. Because every single day of this war destroys the future of the region and ours," Rumen Radev said.

He underlined the importance of our country's geopolitical orientation in the current crisis.

"It is extremely important for Bulgaria to be an important element of the unity of the alliances of which it is a member - the EU and NATO, as a guarantor of our security. But, I say again, we have by no means exhausted the means of diplomacy."

The President highlighted the processes started to modernise the army, such as the construction of two patrol ships and the negotiations for the delivery of two second-hand submarines, but he also recognised that there are weaknesses in the military infrastructure.

"What we are lagging behind with is the modernization of our ports and naval bases because these new capabilities such as ships and submarines need a serious modernisation," Rumen Radev stressed.

He called for working hard to strengthen economic cooperation in the region.

"And to insist that this cooperation develops over time as a guarantor of connectivity, better economic ties and especially against the background of Ukraine's reconstruction processes, which must happen sooner or later," the Head of State said.

According to him, the diversification of energy routes and sources also goes through the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, which is designed to transport Russian oil.

"Geopolitical changes make it necessary for us to implement this oil pipeline and reverse its direction. Because if it was designed years ago for Russian oil flowing towards the Mediterranean, now we have to think the other way around," Rumen Radev noted.

He acknowledged that the country was seriously lagging behind Romania and Turkey in the demand for gas in our offshore economic zone.

"Our country is also facing difficulties with the East-West redirected traffic, which has dramatically increased after Russia closed the roads to Europe because of the war," the head of state added.