site.btaPresident Radev Does Not Accept Cabinet's Proposal to Lead Delegation to NATO Summit

President Rumen Radev does not accept the Council of Ministers' proposal to lead the Bulgarian delegation and participate in the July 9-11 NATO Summit in Washington, DC, his Press Secretariat said on Thursday.

Radev, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has always urged and worked for their modernization, for enhancing the national defence capacity, increasing Bulgaria's contribution to strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence posture of the Eastern Flank. From Day One of the war in Ukraine, the President has strongly condemned the Russian aggression. At national and international forums, Radev has always supported all elements of the collective approach to security safeguards, to enhancing defence capabilities, implementing the Alliance's regional plans and increasing defence spending, the Press Secretariat said.

At the same time, President Radev does not accept certain aspects of the framework positions on Bulgaria's commitments regarding the war in Ukraine adopted by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. In this context, the President does not accept the Council of Ministers' proposal to lead the Bulgarian delegation.

The Council of Ministers decided on June 21 that Radev and caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, who is also Foreign Minister, will participate in the NATO Summit. The decision followed a debate in Parliament after Glavchev asked its Chair, Raya Nazaryan, and the parliamentary groups to decide who will represent Bulgaria. Both the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria opposed Radev representing Bulgaria, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party was in favour of the President. Velichie said the decision should be taken by the Council of Ministers.

On Wednesday, the Council of Ministers approved Bulgaria's framework positions for the NATO Summit. They were not published because they are for official use only. By the same decision, the cabinet proposed that President Radev lead the Bulgarian delegation, present the adopted framework positions and on that basis "approve and/or endorse" the Summit documents. The Cabinet also decided that Dimitar Glavchev would be on the delegation.

On Thursday, Glavchev told reporters in Brussels the head of State would lead the Bulgarian delegation to the NATO Summit: "Assuming the President will participate, he will head the delegation."