site.btaUPDATED PM Radev, President Iotova Hold Separate Regional Security Talks with NATO Intelligence Official

Prime Minister Rumen Radev met NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security Scott Bray on Wednesday, the government press service said. They discussed regional security and NATO’s current agenda.

State Agency for National Security Chair Plamen Tonchev and State Intelligence Agency Chair Antoan Gechev also attended the meeting.

Later on Wednesday, President Iliana Iotova met Bray at the President’s administration. Bray’s visit to Bulgaria focused primarily on the country’s chairmanship of NATO’s Civilian Intelligence Committee in 2027.

The talks focused on challenges to the Alliance’s collective security amid the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Iotova called for guarantees for the security of the Black Sea region, which is of major economic importance to Bulgaria.

Tonchev and Gechev also attended the meeting.

GERB, Democratic Bulgaria (DB) and Continue the Change (CC) urged President Iliana Iotova to convene the Consultative Council on National Security after the German government blamed Russia on Tuesday for the failed attack involving an explosives-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. The German government set out a series of countermeasures, including the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn, the termination of the agreement with the Russian House cultural institute in Berlin and additional sanctions.

At the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, 2026, Radev said Bulgaria prioritized the development of its own defence capabilities and described the country as an important factor for stability in the Black Sea region. He said NATO’s target of 5% of GDP for defence covered conventional capabilities, infrastructure, connectivity, digital security and cybersecurity.