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President Rumen Radev: Europe can cope with challenges if it raises its ambitions

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev at the Delphi Economic Forum
Photo: BTA

On April 9 and 10, Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev participated in the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece. The event brings together heads of state and government, representatives of academia, business and the non-governmental sector, who discuss the prospects for sustainable development and competitiveness in conditions of intertwining crises. 

In his speech, Radev emphasized that "Europe can cope with challenges and strengthen its positions in a highly contested world if it recognizes the significance of the problems, raises its level of ambition and takes concrete actions by stepping out of its comfort zone". 

He pointed out that the dynamics of geopolitical processes are becoming increasingly high, the architecture of international security is collapsing, established business models are disintegrating, which makes predictions about the future extremely difficult. To address the challenges, Europe needs to rethink a number of key areas - security, geopolitical positioning, the competitiveness of its economy, energy, innovation and European unity.

He also pointed out that the EU needs military power and a purposeful approach to decision-making in this turbulent world. "We must also realize that the mere accumulation of weapons does not automatically lead to defense capabilities. We need, first of all, a clear political vision and a common defense strategy," Radev stressed. 

The president highlighted the challenges of unifying the fragmented European defense industry and convincing European citizens that investments in security are justified.



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