Minister Velislava Petrova: Strengthening NATO's Deterrence and Defense Potential on the Eastern Flank and in the Black Sea Region is of Essential Importance for Bulgaria
29 May 2026 News
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Velislava Petrova, took part in the conference " The Defense and Democracy Dialogue: Why We Fight ", organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy in Sofia.
Within the framework of the first panel on "Strengthening Security on NATO's Eastern Flank", she emphasized the importance of security in the Black Sea region and the need for enhanced allied cooperation within NATO.
Minister Petrova noted that the security environment is becoming increasingly dynamic and complex, pointing out risks to critical infrastructure, increased military tension in the Black Sea region, and the growing importance of unmanned systems. She excelled that Bulgaria is actively working on the modernization of the armed forces, the development of defense infrastructure, and the strengthening of regional security. In her speech, Minister Petrova also highlighted Bulgaria's potential for developing innovation and dual-use technologies within NATO's DIANA ecosystem, emphasizing that innovation, research and development (R&D) are a key factor for building modern defense capabilities and a competitive economy.
Our top diplomat also pointed out the benefits of NATO membership, which provides Bulgaria with access to shared capabilities, intelligence, joint planning, and political solidarity. Minister Petrova further noted that investments in defense are also investments in resilience, technological innovation, infrastructure modernization, and economic development.
Prior to the start of the conference, Minister Petrova held a meeting with the National Security Advisor to the President of Romania, Marius-Gabriel Lazurca. During the meeting, prospects for deepening bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and Romania in the field of security, defense, and connectivity in the Black Sea region were discussed. The Minister expressed Bulgaria's solidarity with Romania regarding the incident involving a Russian drone that affected Romanian territory.
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