site.btaBulgaria Cannot Shy Away from US Initiatives, Outgoing Interior Minister Says

Speaking on Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday, outgoing Interior Minister and GERB deputy leader Daniel Mitov said that "the United States is our main geopolitical ally, and we cannot shy away from initiatives they have launched." He was commenting on Bulgaria’s joining the US-led Board of Peace.

Mitov said the decision to sign the document was taken legitimately with a mandate from the Council of Ministers and is subject to ratification by Parliament.

"When a serious geopolitical initiative emerges under US leadership, it is better to be at the table than on the menu," Mitov said. In his words, choosing not to take part at such a moment amounts to self-exclusion rather than neutrality. He added that Bulgaria is now part of something that will develop in the future.

"It is early days for us, politicians, to comment on something that does not yet exist," Mitov said with regard to former president Rumen Radev’s political project. The outgoing minister noted that, at present, the only thing that is known is that Radev is no longer president, and there is no way of knowing whether he will form a party or lead a coalition, or what kind of programme and public agenda he would pursue.

Commenting on the closure of the Anti-Corruption Commission envisioned in a bill that Parliament adopted at first reading on Wednesday, Mitov said the Interior Ministry and the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) are ready to structure a similar unit. He noted that there is an issue with accommodating the Commission’s staff, whose activities are expected to be transferred to GDCOC.

Commenting on the work his Ministry has done in 2025, Mitov reported several times higher seizures of cocaine, cannabis and fentanyl compared to previous years, as well as a 70% reduction in migration pressure. He also spoke of road safety, saying that the measures taken are already producing results, though time is needed. Mitov said that traffic through Bulgaria increased by 20% last year, with truck traffic up by 40%, while the number of road fatalities was 22 lower compared to 2024.