Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria has clearly demonstrated that its foreign policy is fully anchored in the European Union (EU) and NATO, and there should be no doubt about that, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said in an interview with Nova TV on Sunday.
At the same time, after 20 years of EU membership, Bulgaria should recognize that it cannot afford simply to follow one major power or another without question, she said. It is time for the country to pursue a foreign policy that is not driven by an inferiority complex about being one of the EU’s smaller Member States, nor by inertia or symbolic gestures, but by initiative, Petrova added.
Turning to the so-called Kyiv Declaration, the Foreign Minister reiterated that “nothing was signed in Kyiv”. She said such declarations are routinely adopted in various informal formats and do not entail binding commitments. According to Petrova, only decisions taken within the framework of the EU and NATO involve commitments to further action.
Commenting on the “Coalition of the Willing”, Petrova again said Bulgaria had undertaken no commitment to participate. She noted that the coalition is intended primarily for the period following the conclusion of a peace agreement. Bulgaria has so far participated through its presence at meetings but has made no other substantive commitment, she said.
Petrova argued that, in the past, Bulgarian foreign policy had often been shaped by considerations of how to please one country or another or by consultations with foreign partners. What has changed, she said, is that Bulgaria’s foreign policy is now determined on the basis of the country’s national interests.
“Everyone wants peace,” Petrova said. She argued that several complementary approaches are needed to achieve it: support for Ukraine, effective economic measures to encourage Russia to come to the negotiating table, and diplomacy. Different countries choose to focus on different aspects of this effort, she said, adding that Bulgaria has made diplomacy its main priority because it believes this is the area receiving the least attention. Petrova reiterated that Bulgaria could play a key role in Ukraine’s energy security.
Asked whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine, Petrova said the primary consideration is international law. Bulgaria has consistently supported the position that, under international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine. At the same time, she noted that, given the ongoing violation of international law, “it is clear who currently exercises control over the peninsula”.
Commenting on Bulgaria’s reservations regarding the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia and its request that Iskander Mahmudov, chairman of the consortium supplying spare parts for Sofia Metro trains, not be included in the sanctions list, Petrova said that the derogation granted to the company would cease to apply if he were sanctioned. Bulgaria’s Foreign Policy Is Fully Anchored in EU, NATO, Foreign Minister Petrova Says 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-19 08:05:52 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law