20.02.2024
We seize each opportunity to explain how important it is to lift the land border controls and to adopt the Euro in Bulgaria. We get full support for that. This was stated by Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov when he spoke to the media after a series of talks today with European leaders at the Munich Security Conference. Acad. Nikolai Denkov talked with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo and the Member of the Bundestag of Germany Johann Wadephul. “Negotiations with Austria must continue so as to remove the Austrian last objections. This is part of our effort to reinforce the borders and strengthen the fight against illegal migration,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister said further. Johann Wadephul congratulated Nikolai Denkov on the Bulgarian government’s irreversible march towards full European integration. The country’s plan to adopt the Euro on 1 January 2025 and effort to achieve the lifting of Schengen land border controls were recognized accordingly.
In Munich Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov had a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna. Acad. Denkov stated that Bulgaria continues to be a staunch ally and supporter of the Ukrainian people. The Bulgarian government is determined to support Ukraine and recognizes its legitimate right to defend its territorial interests, the Prime Minister said firmly. As he put it, the most important principle that Bulgaria advocates is Ukraine’s sovereign right to set the conditions and the timing for negotiations with Russia.
“The whole political world, both in Europe and in the United States, is aware that Ukraine’s difficulties must be taken seriously and that action must be taken very quickly to support the Ukrainian efforts to stop the Russian aggression. There is no longer any doubt, and this is commonly said, that Ukraine fights not just to defend its homeland but also to uphold the principles of abidance by international law, democracy and freedom as all these are now at stake,” the Prime Minister said after the meeting.
Acad. Denkov pointed out that Russian politicians no longer hesitate to say that after Ukraine they might turn to other countries. “It is high time for the politicians and for the people in Europe alike to become aware that these dangers are real and accordingly, they provoke a reaction,” the Prime Minister said further. Acad. Denkov cited as an example the agreements that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy signed with the Federal Chancellor of Germany and with the President of France. “These are just examples of how different countries, along with the European Union as a whole, are looking for ways and means to help Ukraine in this fight for freedom,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister said.
Further, Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov noted that European defense should not be an alternative to and a rival with NATO but rather should reinforce the Alliance in our region. “Bulgaria is doing exactly that: we are modernizing our army and we need to further gear up this effort. We must integrate our capabilities into those of the neighbor countries as part of NATO’s Eastern Flank,” Acad. Denkov pointed out. In his understanding, it is very important to open the grain corridors to export grain to the countries that need it.
