The official meeting at the Elysee Palace between Prime Minister Rumen Radev and French President Emmanuel Macron ended without a joint statement, with the two leaders achieving progress on bilateral economic projects, but also demonstrating different views on the war in Ukraine and the European budget.
The partnership for the purchase of new French military equipment for the Bulgarian army was discussed, including the negotiation of supplies of 3D radars and a new generation of howitzers.
The possibilities for French supplies of nuclear fuel for the 6th unit of the “Kozloduy“ NPP were examined.
The successful implementation of the contract for 12 new French electric trains was announced, which is a key condition for receiving funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PVU).
Gratitude was expressed to Macron for his support for the inclusion of Macedonian Bulgarians in the Constitution of the RSM in 2022.
Rumen Radev expressed serious reservations about the current EU policy. The Bulgarian Prime Minister called for a shift in efforts to peace talks with Russia, stating that “Europe is striving for a conventional victory without real opportunities to counter Russian hypersonic weapons“.
He stressed that Bulgaria must first guarantee its own standard of living before allocating additional funds to Ukraine.
The Bulgarian delegation has expressed a firm position in favor of maintaining a strong cohesion policy and a fair European budget, opposing cuts in these areas.
The French side issued a protocol comment, in which Emmanuel Macron noted on social networks that France and Bulgaria continue their joint work to strengthen the partnership in defense, security and energy for a more sovereign and united Europe.
After the visit to Paris, the Bulgarian delegation left for Brussels.