site.btaDefence Minister Says Bulgarian Position for NATO's Washington Summit May Not Be Declassified

Bulgaria's position for NATO's Washington Summit (July 9-11) may not be declassified because it is based on secret documents of the Alliance, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said on Thursday. "In our position, we actually discuss documents compiled by NATO, not by Bulgaria," Zapryanov said at a parliamentary hearing on Bulgaria's preparations for the NATO Summit.

He noted that Bulgarian MPs have access to the documents as copies of them have been submitted to the National Assembly, and they can seek information from the national delegation to the Washington meeting. "Copies of these documents are not provided to all agencies, only to those that are concerned with the matter. This is what Bulgaria's Protection of Classified Information Act says," Zapryanov explained.

He recalled that the Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers of June 13-14 was held exclusively in the context of Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The ministers discussed efforts to increase support for Ukraine and NATO's coordination with the EU. The Allies confirmed that they will continue to support Kyiv, which, they said, is in their own best interests. The Defence Ministers Meeting contributed to the preparations for the NATO Summit in Washington, Zapryanov said.