site.btaDefence Ministry Has Received No Request Regarding Bulgaria's Position on Kyiv Declaration

In a written response to Democratic Bulgaria MP Ivaylo Mirchev sent on Friday, Minister of Defence Dimitar Stoyanov said that the Ministry of Defence has not received any request, nor has it drawn up a written statement regarding Bulgaria's position on the Kyiv Declaration presented at the Ukraine - Southeast Europe Summit earlier July and regarding participation in the so-called Coalition of the Willing.

In his question, Mirchev pointed out that Bulgaria's stance on key allied and international initiatives determines not only Bulgaria's place in the global community, but also the level of trust it enjoys amongst its partners. "Decisions of this nature cannot be taken in the absence of transparency or where there is procedural uncertainty," the MP added.

During a visit to Paris on July 14, Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that Bulgaria's place is not in the Coalition of the Willing. The opposition accused the government of taking contradictory positions on Bulgaria's foreign policy, given that Radev stated that Bulgaria will not participate in the Coalition, even though Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova-Chamova signed a declaration in support of it.

For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Petrova-Chamova had not signed a declaration committing Bulgaria to stepping up its participation in the Coalition. Radev also stated that there was no disagreement within the government regarding the war in Ukraine.