BSP is following with concern the development of the military conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, noting their deepening and escalation, despite publicly demonstrated attempts to negotiate and reach agreements. The positions of the participating countries are characterized by uncompromisingness and therefore expectations for a quick end to military actions are not confirmed in the real situation.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party has repeatedly expressed its position against war as a means of resolving interstate conflicts. Our party upholds the understanding of the need to find a diplomatic solution to every international dispute, and we support all attempts at negotiations between the warring countries. It is of paramount importance for the BSP that Bulgaria does not allow our country to be involved in armed conflicts, in any form.
Therefore, we believe that our country's membership in the EU and NATO, as well as the strategic partnership with the USA, cannot in themselves be grounds for the deployment of US Air Force aircraft for several months at Sofia's civil airport “Vasil Levski“. This is also evident from the behavior of other partner countries of these organizations on similar issues related to current military conflicts.
Our understanding is that the decision of the Ministry of Defense in the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov to deploy military aircraft, alongside those of civil aviation in conditions of hot conflict, poses a danger to Bulgarian citizens and must be unconditionally reviewed by the current Council of Ministers. This is a military equipment with a strategic purpose, located in close proximity to civilian infrastructure and the capital of the country. This circumstance cannot be treated as a routine technical or logistical issue. We recall that last week, the civil airport of Kuwait was subjected to a missile strike, causing serious damage, injuries and deaths of civilians.
The presence of American tanker aircraft at the “Vasil Levski“ airport in Sofia still raises serious questions to which Bulgarian society has never received clear answers. Such questions appear sporadically in statements by officials outside Bulgaria and often contradict the explanations of the Bulgarian authorities. We appeal to the new Bulgarian government and Prime Minister Rumen Radev to radically change the approach of their predecessors by providing truthful and clear information to Bulgarian citizens on an issue that directly concerns their security and raises their legitimate concerns.