site.btaPresident Radev Arrives in Brussels for NATO Summit, Says Unity of Member States is Key Factor for Their Security

June 14 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) -
Arriving here for the NATO Summit on Monday, Bulgarian President
 Rumen Radev said that unity among the NATO member states is a
key factor for their security. Speaking to reporters, the
Bulgarian President said that he speaks of unity not only in the
 context of the general political will for developing adequate
defence capabilities and achieving interoperability, but also
for advancing the defence indistry and leading technologies. 

Radev heads a Bulgarian delegation attending a meeting of NATO
Heads of State and Government on June 14. During the Summit NATO
 leaders will discuss key issues, take decisions about the
future of NATO and agree on measures to adapt the Alliance as
part of the NATO 2030 agenda. Radev is expected to hold
bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event.

He added that the 2030 agenda of the Alliance sets ambitious
goals.
 
He recalled that during the Alliance Summit in 2019 he raised
the question about the growing gap between the producer
countries, which develop their economy and social systems thanks
 to the production and export of high-tech defence products, and
 countries which buy these products and thus invest in the
economies of the advanced countries and worsen even more the
social and economic disparity. "I suggested ways for overcoming
these disparities among the NATO members through strengthening
industrial cooperation and technology exchange with each major
military deal. I am happy to see than the NATO 2030 plan there
are projects which go in that direction," said Radev.

He added that the projects due to be discussed at the Brussels
Summit, are of huge significance for the development of the
Bulgarian defence industry, research potential, private
enterprise and startup eco-systems.

After Monday's meeting, President Radev told reporters that he
expected Bulgaria to benefit directly from decisions at Monday's
 NATO summit in Brussels, which envision a common budget and
joint efforts to develop military technology.

Radev also said that he had talked with NATO Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg on the matter and that he expects
representatives of the newly established structures in this
field to visit Bulgaria and meet with academics and
military-industrial complex. According to him, some of the
decisions adopted on Monday will allow for more active
participation of the Bulgarian military industry and science,
including private and start-up companies. According to the
President, Bulgaria must work actively in all directions so that
 industry, science and young people feel fulfilled and benefit
from the country's NATO membership.

"Everyone shared the view that the most important factor for our
 collective security is our unity as allies. For the first time,
 a NATO strategic document addresses unity in all dimensions -
not just common political will and military compatibility,"
Radev pointed out.
 
***

On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Brussels, President Radev
 held a bilateral meeting with North Macedonia's Prime Minister
Zoran Zaev, Radev's press secretariat reported late on Monday.
The meeting was also attended by Bulgaria's Defence Minister
Georgi Panayotov and North Macedonia's Deputy Prime Minister for
 European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov, Defence Minister Radmila
Sekerinska, and Foreign Affairs Minister Bujar Osmani.

The talks focused on the prospects for achieving real progress
in the process of North Macedonia's EU integration. The sides
agreed that Prime Minister Zaev will visit Sofia in the coming
days.

Bilateral cooperation in the field of security and defence and
the opportunity to broaden the cooperation in the area of
military training, also featured on the agenda.
 
RI,NV/LN,DT, DS