Regarding Russia’s demand that NATO withdraw its military forces from Bulgaria and Romania, PM Kiril Petkov made an official statement in the National Assembly.

In his words, within the frameworks of its NATO membership, Bulgaria makes its own decisions on what policy to pursue. PM Petkov pointed out that the North Atlantic Treaty does not envisage second-category member states, for which collective defence is applied selectively, and called on the Russian Federation to remain committed to the constructive dialogue for reducing tension and for the strict implementation of the international legal commitments assumed.

The hearing of the Premier in parliament was requested by the opposition GERB-SDS party which described Russia’s demand for the withdrawal of NATO troops from Bulgaria and Romania as a threat to national security. From the parliamentary rostrum, GERB’s deputy chair Daniel Mitov demanded that the President convene the Consultative Council on National Security on the matter. The coalition partners from Democratic Bulgaria described the reaction by PM Kiril Petkov as timely and to the benefit of Bulgaria’s NATO membership.

Vazrazhdane on its part called for no foreign interference in the country’s policy to be permitted, and denounced the deployment of American bases on Bulgarian territory.