Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Rumen Radev: Bulgaria must reassume its leadership in the Balkans

Photo: BTA

President Rumen Radev has called on Bulgarian politicians and parties to resolve their "family issues" and restore Bulgaria's leadership in the Balkans "in a broader regional perspective".

"It is high time to take our heads out of the sand, stop dealing with our domestic provincial squabbles and return to where we belong," the head of state said from Sarajevo, where he laid a wreath at the memorial plaque symbolising the friendship between Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. "My question to the Bulgarian politicians is what happened to the Bulgaria we knew - the country that used to be the first to react to all the important problems in the region, the first to take decisions, the first to provide support, the first to initiate the security process in South Eastern Europe".

During his official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rumen Radev held talks with the High Representative of the international community in Bosnia, Christian Schmitt, as well as with members of both houses of the Bosnian Parliament. Before his meeting with Lieutenant-General László Stitz, the EUFOR commander-in-chief, the President said that the Bosnian authorities highly appreciated the work of Bulgarian soldiers in the operation. 

"Your mission here is extremely important. We are ready to continue to support it" - with these words Rumen Radev addressed the Bulgarian military taking part in Operation ALTHEA of the European Union mission in Sarajevo. He thanked the soldiers for their contribution to security and stability.

The President noted that the biggest problem of the Bulgarian Army was understaffing. That's why, according to him, funding for the Army should be increased and its modernisation accelerated.

Rumen Radev's official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina ended with a meeting at the Butmir military base.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bar associations call on SJC to suspend election of new Prosecutor General and President of SAC

Twenty-five bar associations from across the country have called on the Supreme Judicial Council, which has an expired mandate, to suspend the process of electing a new Prosecutor General and a new President of the Supreme Administrative Court. They..

published on 10/17/24 4:38 PM

SJC reacts to calls for the suspension of the election of the Prosecutor General and the President of the SAC

"The calls to suspend the procedure for the election of the President of the Supreme Administrative Court and the Prosecutor General are a call for the Supreme Judicial Council to violate the Constitution, which is unacceptable," the Supreme Judicial..

published on 10/17/24 3:12 PM
LB Bulgaricum EAD CEO Zhivko Zhivkov and Meiji Executive Officer Shigeru Taniguchi signing the contract on October 17, Sofia.

LB Bulgaricum EAD, Meiji to set up joint research laboratory in Bulgaria

Bulgarian state-owned company LB Bulgaricum and Japanese giant Meiji signed a contract to establish a world-class joint research laboratory. The official ceremony was attended by interim Economy Minister Petko Nikolov and Japanese Ambassador Michigami..

published on 10/17/24 2:19 PM