“Bulgaria is a loyal member of NATO and the EU. Historically and culturally, Bulgaria has always been a European country. It has chosen a stable and unswerving path of pro-European development. We shall not stray from it. We want to assert ourselves as a most reliable NATO partner. But that does not mean we have to be an enemy to Russia, a country we have important economic interests with,” said President-elect of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, in an interview for the French Le Monde, in answer to a question whether there will be any changes in Bulgaria’s relations with the EU and NATO, stressing that during their election campaigning, he and his running mate Iliana Iotova had made it a point to uphold this clear position. 

Answering a question why he is in favour of lifting the sanctions against Russia Rumen Radev says: “Sanctions are not a solution to the problem. They harm Russia but also the EU. For strong economies that is not a problem, but for a fragile economy like Bulgaria’s it is. They have a direct effect on agriculture. Bulgarian companies are closing down, jobs are being lost.