President Iliana Yotova talks with her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron within the framework of the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Yotova was a guest at the French president's speech at the large forum, dedicated to the need for Europe to regain its strong positions both domestically and globally.
The Munich Security Conference brings together more than 50 heads of state and government from around the world to discuss foreign policy and security issues.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin had begun talks with France on a European nuclear deterrent, and President Emmanuel Macron said Europe must become a geopolitical power because the Russian threat will not disappear, Reuters reported.
Merz, who said the continent must become stronger in order to achieve a recharge in relations with the United States, called on Washington in a speech at the Munich Security Conference to "restore trust" in the current dangerous era of great power politics and warned Americans that they cannot cope alone with the collapse of the old world order.
He was followed by a message from Macron, who rejected criticism of the continent but added that it was time for Europe to be more aggressive and create a more stable security architecture.
These speeches highlighted the growing desire of European leaders to go their own way after a year of unprecedented turmoil in transatlantic relations, but also their desire to preserve the alliance with Washington despite everything.
Europe faces numerous threats, ranging from Russia's war in Ukraine to cataclysms in international trade.
"I have started confidential talks with the French president about European nuclear deterrence," Merz said, quoted by BTA. "We Germans are sticking to our legal commitments." These commitments stipulate that Germany will not possess its own nuclear weapons, but will fulfill its responsibility to the NATO nuclear umbrella by accepting American nuclear weapons on its territory.
The Chancellor emphasized that despite the outlined desire for a more independent European course, "security zones with different responsibilities will not be allowed to emerge in Europe."