President Rumen Radev holds a meeting with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, who is visiting our country

The future of the EU depends on the ability to transform the enormous potential of the European economy into a competitive advantage based on innovation, high technologies and artificial intelligence. This was stated by Head of State Rumen Radev at the beginning of a meeting in Sofia with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, who is visiting our country.
 
The head of state recalled the constructive conversation with Antonio Costa at the Munich Security Conference last February, when the two discussed a number of important issues in the context of the complex challenges facing Europe. The unprecedented dynamics in geopolitical processes require us to decisively reconsider security issues, build adequate defence capabilities and overcome the fragmentation in the European defence industry, Rumen Radev emphasised, adding that the European Union needs to be even more active and establish itself as a guarantor of peace and security not only on our continent, but also globally. Achieving strategic autonomy in the EU should be a conscious goal of each member state, and this means a strong, competitive European economy, the president pointed out.
 
Bulgaria is actively engaged in these processes, and the Bulgarian defence industry has rich traditions and an established place in world markets, noted Rumen Radev, highlighting the leading position in Europe of the defence industry in our country in the production of ammunition and light weapons and the continuous increase in new high-tech products produced in our country in this area. The head of state also expressed our country's readiness to participate in joint European projects in the sector.
 
The President recalled that at the Munich Security Conference he also had a conversation with the CEO of the largest defence concern in Europe, Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger. During our constructive meeting, I convinced him of the enormous advantages of our country for investments, I convinced him to come to Bulgaria, and as a result, we expect large-scale investments in our country, which will contribute to the common European defence, Rumen Radev pointed out, adding that Bulgaria also continues to assert its role as one of the leading factors in Eastern Europe in the field of artificial intelligence and the IT sector.
 
We should not allow violations of the principles of democracy and human rights to be concealed behind stated ambitions for EU membership, emphasised President Rumen Radev and noted that our country supports the enlargement of the EU as a guarantor of security, stability and prosperity on the continent, but for this process to be sustainable and irreversible, it should be based on the systematic efforts of each candidate country to affirm the values of democracy and the Copenhagen criteria for membership.