site.btaBulgarian MEP Andrey Novakov: War Concerns Us, We Must Be Prepared

Speaking at a roundtable here on Tuesday, Bulgarian MEP Andrey Novakov (EPP/GERB) said that the war in Ukraine concerns Bulgaria, and this country must be prepared. The roundtable, organized by the Vasil Levski National Military University in Veliko Tarnovo, was about European citizens and security in the 21st century. 

In his words, Bulgaria as part of the EU has not declared war, but when the danger comes from outside and when there are mines emerging by the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, drones falling down, and people working undercover for a foreign country, that impacts on every Bulgarian citizen. "That is why the war already concerns us and that is why we have to be prepared," he said.

The MEP said that at the moment, the whole of Europe is getting rearmed. The countries are clearly getting ready to defend themselves, and 80% of the news flow is about the events in Gaza and Ukraine. 

According to him, the EU and NATO might soon undertake additional actions for handling the problem, such as a package of sanctions or promotion of an increase of defence spending to over 2% of GDP.

General Ivan Malamov, head of the Vasil Levski National Military University, said that the university is a leading institution both in Bulgaria and in the EU in the field of security. The last decades have seen a change in technologies and geopolitics creating preconditions for many new armed conflicts that directly concern European citizens' security.

Among the guests of the conference were Estonian MEP Riho Terras (EPP/Isamaa), Veliko Tarnovo Regional Governor Ivaylo Zdravkov, representatives of the Regional Police Directorate, the State Agency for National Security, cadets from the Vasil Levski National Military University, university partners from Romania, national and regional security experts.