site.btaUPDATED President Radev Emphasizes Importance of Establishing Lasting Peace in Europe

Speaking before the start of the annual meeting of the presidents from the Arraiolos Group here on Friday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said that a most important task ahead is to find a solution to the war in Europe, as well as establishing lasting peace, security, and prosperity.

Radev stated: "It is precisely the European Union and Europe that must play a key and leading role, because the continuation of this war could affect our future, which is already being held hostage by the war, and it must be resolved primarily through diplomacy, on the basis of the principles of international law and with clear security guarantees."

The head of State called for systematic coordinated efforts, for common sense and flexibility, as they would be required to address the wars, the political instability, as well as economic and social upheavals in Ukraine and in Gaza.

Commenting on the announced phase one of a peace plan between Israel and Hamas, Radev said: "I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the agreement on the first phase of [US] President [Donald] Trump's peace plan to end the war in Gaza. This is the first, but extremely important, step towards peace. It is here that Europe has the opportunity to play a key role and make a significant contribution to the rapid and full implementation of this plan. We remain firmly convinced of the need to implement the two-state solution as the only viable path to a lasting resolution of the conflict and the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East."

Radev noted technological progress as another important topic to be discussed at the forum. He stated that achieving such progress would require Europe to focus on innovation and scientific research. He said: "Falling behind in this area directly affects not only our competitiveness and quality of life but also our security. Contrary to many other views, I am convinced that artificial intelligence, which we will discuss today [on Friday], will not rule the world, at least not in the medium term. But countries that understand and master it will become increasingly important and influential on the international stage. My country, Bulgaria, is also making efforts not to fall behind in this critically important area. We have all the opportunities and the potential to move forward in the development of artificial intelligence, innovation, and technology. Our ambition is to become a regional innovation hub, connecting Europe's technological core with our region."

The President believes that Europe is at a crossroads, having to choose whether to continue following or to start leading the way. He concluded: "We must all make an effort here, because we must not turn from a continent of inventors into a continent of regulators."

The forum has brought together the presidents of Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The Arraiolos Group is a format for informal meetings between European heads of State. It was established in 2003 at the initiative of Portugal and takes its name from the Portuguese town where the first meeting was held, attended by the presidents of Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Portugal. The meetings provide a platform for exchanging views on key European and global issues.