Bulgaria has established itself as a full and active member of NATO
11 April 2014 News
2014 is a symbolic and significant year because we mark the 10th anniversary of the fifth NATO enlargement with Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, the 15th anniversary of the accession of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, and 5 years from the accession of two countries from our region - Albania and Croatia, said today Minister Kristian Vigenin after the meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is paying a visit to Bulgaria.
Minister Vigenin thanked Anders Fogh Rasmussen for his efforts regarding the accession of Bulgaria to NATO, as well as for his contribution to the country's accession to the EU. "I believe that he is one of Europe's political leaders, who will remain as a positive figure in our recent history," he said. According to Kristian Vigenin, NATO’s membership has been a fundamental foreign policy priority for the past 10 years and a key factor in ensuring our security and sovereignty. He emphasized that in the past period our country has made significant progress in establishing itself as full and active participant in the political dialogue and the allied NATO operations.
For his part, NATO Secretary General said that Bulgaria has a key role in the region and this region is key to NATO. Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanked the country for its significant contribution to the activities of the organization. He defined today’s talks held in Sofia as substantive and timely.
During the meeting, Minister Vigenin and NATO Secretary General discussed the upcoming Summit of the Alliance in the UK in September. It is an important event because this year the biggest operation – ISAF, is due to be completed and we need to determine the action lines of the Organization in Afghanistan after the completion, said the Bulgarian Foreign Minister.
As regards the expected results of the Summit, Kristian Vigenin focused on the decision making in relation to the Open Door policy. Bulgaria supports the unity of the organization and we will try to reach an agreement on the next NATO enlargements in the period before the Summit ," he said, adding that series of discussions are due to take place, as well as a Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the end of June. Minister Vigenin said that Bulgaria fully supports inviting Montenegro to join NATO, which would contribute to enhancing the security of the entire region.
The Foreign Minister and the Secretary General also discussed the situation in Ukraine. As part of our partnership, we have strengthened the practical andthe political support in order to fosterthe defense capacity of Ukraine, said Anders Fogh Rasmussen . He urged Russia to stop the destabilization of the country and rebuild trust.
Kristian Vigenin reiterated that the only way to end the crisis in the country is through political dialogue and diplomatic initiatives. "At the same time, the EU and NATO are willing to lend Ukraine the necessary support. We hope that the measures that will be taken in the coming days, including from Russia, will lead to de-escalation of tensions, allowing a more normal political dialogue ,"he said.
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister and NATO SecretaryGeneral marked the 10th anniversary of the country's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, by planting a 10 -year-old evergreen tree in the courtyard of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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