site.btaUPDATED President: No Direct Threat to National Security

There is no direct threat to Bulgaria's national security at present, President Rumen Radev said on Wednesday, emerging from a consultative meeting with officials of the government and the security services, which discussed the risks to national security as a result of the ongoing conflicts and measures to minimize their impact.

Radev congratulated the government on its quick actions in evacuating Bulgarians from Istrael. "Completing this operation remains a priority task," he added.

The President went on to comment: "The security environment is deteriorating as a result of the armed fighting in Israel, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the crises in Syria and the South Caucasus, and the growing tensions in the Western Balkans, which present new challenges to Bulgaria. The escalation of the armed conflict between Hamas and Israel and the involvement of more participants in it is increasing the risk of more intense migrant movements towards Bulgaria and possible infiltration of members of terrorist organizations."

Radev believes that the new challenges call for an in-depth analysis of the available capabilities of the Bulgarian national security forces and require the building of new capabilities to face the new threats.
 Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, who was at the meeting, commented: "When there are important tasks at hand, the institutions should stand together. It is of paramount importance that the discussion we have started today should also involve the parties in the National Assembly, which are ready to share in a constructive dialogue, because many decisions depend on what happens in Parliament. I will do my best to make sure that we continue the discussion we have started today and deepen it with the partners in Parliament that support the government."

The Prime Minister recalled that the Council on Security under the Council of Ministers has already had two meetings which have been attended by members of the President's Administration. He said: "We will need support in the National Assembly, and we will make the best possible use of the expertise of the Presidency, particularly in the field of defence."

Denkov noted that the meeting with the president was not a matter of emergency. "I want to reassure the people that the reason for the meeting was a clear awareness that the institutions should work together," he said.

In addition to the President and the Prime Minister, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, Chief of Defence Adm. Emil Eftimov, State Agency for National Security President Plamen Tonchev, State Intelligence Agency Vice President Assen Tutekov, National Protection Service Head Brig. Gen. Emil Tonev and Military Intelligence Service Director Brig. Gen. Venelin Venev.

Also invited to the meeting were National Assembly Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov and Interior Ministry Secretary-General Zhivko Kotsev.

Previously, President Radev has held such consultative meetings on three other occasions: on September 20, 2019 with a focus on relations with the Republic of North Macedonia; on February 24, 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and on September 23, 2022 over the consequences of the Ukraine war escalation for security, the economy and social sector. 

Socialist leader Korneliya Ninova recently urged the President to hold a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security over the Middle East crisis but he said the situation does not warrant that.

The Consultative Council includes the Parliament leader, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Defence, of the Interior, of Foreign Affairs and of Finance, the Chief of Defence, and one representative of each parliamentary group.

Wednesday's meeting left out the party representatives.