site.btaBulgarian President Addresses Arraiolos Summit

At an Arraiolos Group summit in Porto, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev called on European countries to reaffirm their unity on the basis of the common principles and the commitments made within the EU, the presidential press office said on Friday.

The EU should consolidate the efforts of the member states and the European institutions in order to fulfill its main goal of ensuring the security, stability and prosperity of the European citizens and the regions in the neighbourhood, Radev said.

The political dialogue format is named after the Portuguese city where it held its first meeting in 2003, and the summit in Porto is attended by the presidents of 13 EU member states - Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Slovenia.

In his address Radev stressed that the EU should pay serious attention and really respond to the concerns and expectations of the European citizens so that social tensions and populism do not grow. The head of State said that the future of United Europe will depend first of all on its ability to defend and develop its own vision of a cohesive and strong European Union, which has a positive role in Europe and the world.

As a key challenge for the EU and international security, the President identified Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, which has already caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and enormous destruction for 19 months, and the question of how it will be ended still remains open. Radev stressed that from the first day of the war Bulgaria has condemned aggression and the violation of international law, and it is crucial today that the strategic unity and solidarity in the EU be preserved, prioritizing the restoration of peace in Europe and the strengthening of the security architecture.

Every day of this war threatens international peace and security, and the war of attrition affects not only those directly involved in the hostilities, but also the social and economic systems of all neighbouring countries, he said. The President expressed his concern over the expansion of the territorial scope of the conflict, as well as the growing risk for the countries of the Black Sea region with the bombing of Ukraine's port infrastructure and the restriction of shipping, which leads to a further escalation of the conflict.

According to him, this calls for a comprehensive strategy by the international community both to stop the fighting between Russia and Ukraine and to ensure peace in the long term. The Bulgarian head of State reiterated that sending more and more weapons does not lead to a solution of the conflict and a rational balance between military, economic and diplomatic measures is needed.

Europe cannot afford to allow this war to continue, and it is necessary to seek approaches whose main task is to restore peace in Ukraine. That is why strong political will, diplomacy and active negotiations are needed for a just and sustainable peace based on the internationally recognized UN principles, Radev further urged.

In his speech, the President also noted the growing migratory pressure on the EU, which requires a much higher degree of cooperation between the member states. When it comes to countering illegal trafficking, this is a common task of all the countries of the United Europe, not only of the countries on the external European borders, he stressed.