site.btaPresident Plevneliev Says Adoption of Readiness Action Plan Will Be Topmost Result of NATO Summit

ESD 20:41:00 04-09-2014
LN2040ES.121
121 - POLITICS - NATO - SUMMIT - BULGARIA - PRESIDENT

President Plevneliev Says Adoption of Readiness
Action Plan Will Be Topmost Result
of NATO Summit


Newport, September 4 (BTA special correspondent Petko Azmanov) -
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev believes that the most
important result of the NATO Summit in Wales will be the
adoption of a Readiness Action Plan on the Ukraine crisis, which
he said will reflect the need to preclude anticipatory action
by Russia against any NATO member. The President was speaking to
Bulgarian reporters in Newport where he is among the
participants in the NATO Summit. He said the plan is to make
sure "what we saw in Ukraine does not happen again to a [NATO]
member state".

The Head of State said it is important for Bulgaria to see the
adoption of a plan for protection of Romania and Bulgaria, which
he said for the first time in the ten years of Bulgarian
membership of the Alliance sets out in detail the Alliance'
commitments in the event of an attack on the two countries.

Plevneliev said that some priorities which Bulgaria spelled out
some time ago, have not seen much progress, including the
achievement of interoperability with NATO and investment in
capabilities.

"Bulgaria has made a commitment to 55 national goals and much
work remains to be done on all," said he.

In respect NATO's framework-nations concept, Bulgaria has the
ambition to join the group of countries lead by Germany and will
declare so in Newport, said Plevneliev.

"In the smart defence programme, Bulgaria is already working on
several projects, which is good news but is not enough. We have
to step up our cooperation with the neighbours," he added.

The President was adamant that the NATO open-door policy "must
be kept open" but added that "unfortunately, this is not going
to happen at this forum". He reiterated his country's support
for Montenegro and Georgia and expectations of more progress by
Macedonia and Bosnia and Hercegovina.

"The balance in the Black Sea region has changed. We have a new
situation after the annexation of Crimea. Bulgaria has worked
much in the recent months to draw the attention of its partners
to the importance of having instruments for observation,
intelligence and early warning to give us slightly more security
in this situation of disturbed balance in the Black Sea
region," he added.

Commenting the Ukraine crisis and the actions by Russia,
Plevneliev said that the communication channels are open and
everybody hopes for a political solution. "Let me say clearly
that the crisis in Ukraine cannot be resolved by military means.
Bulgaria will help but it cannot send soldiers and weapons. The
crisis can be resolved only by peaceful means, dialogue and
agreement. We believe in this, we keep open the channels for
communication with the Russian side but at the same time we show
resolve."

Plevneliev believes that a new wave of economic sanctions
against Russia is very much likely "exactly because we donТt
want to fight, to send soldiers and weapons". "But we want
Russia, being the partner with which we have worked tens of
years, to go back to the negotiating table, to be again one of
the partners whom we trust and with whom we can make together
responsible decisions," said the President. PA/LN/

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