Minister Nikolay Milkov opened the international conference of the Sofia Security Forum
27 April 2023 News
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Milkov opened the international conference of the Sofia Security Forum on: ‘Looking at Security Challenges in a Fragmenting World: Countering Russian Hybrid Activities’. Minister Milkov congratulated the organisers of the event, which raised the important and topical issue for Bulgaria — the consequences for global and regional security of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian military invasion of Ukraine. ‘The war dealt a serious blow to the existing architecture of international security and led to significant and long-term consequences in all spheres of social and economic life,’ he stressed.
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs outlined the changes that have taken place in the security environment, as well as the role of various international organizations in addressing the current threats and challenges.
‘We need to synchronize our understanding and improve our awareness of the challenges posed by hybrid threats. Russia is using a full arsenal of hybrid techniques, instrumentalizing energy and basic food supplies, cyber activities of control over sensitive technologies, unprecedented intensification of propaganda aimed at domestic political destabilization of our societies — provoking discontent and reducing solidarity with Ukraine. In this sense, strengthening our strategic communications capabilities to counter Russian false narratives is crucial,’ Nikolay Milkov stated.
The themes of the day-long conference include the war in Ukraine and the change in the world order it has brought about, NATO's approach to global and regional security challenges, the consequences of the war on the Black Sea region and the Balkans, and countering Russian hybrid warfare.
The event was attended by over 150 representatives of Bulgarian institutions, the diplomatic corps, academics, security and defence experts and journalists. Among the participants in the discussion panels were well-known analysts from various countries, as well as representatives of NATO and the European Union.
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