„We are currently living in a world with three distinctive characteristics”, said Speaker of the National Assembly Rosen Zhelyazkov during a special event dedicated to three anniversaries – 75 years of NATO, 20 years of membership in NATO and 33 years since the establishment of the Atlantic Club took place in Sofia.
The first characteristic is the strategic competition challenge from a rising China and Russia, and this trend of danger does not depend on whether it is rising or falling. Both scenarios are equally dangerous.
The second is the topic “without passports“ – climate crisis and pandemics. The coronavirus has made this danger independent of any individual country. We observe the same danger after Putin's aggression towards the world in the area of energy supplies. Today, no country wants to be a victim of another country's monopoly.
A third characteristic is the revolution in technology. Computer-related technologies are leading to breakthroughs of remarkable scale and scope, from which arise two sources of concern – the problems with artificial intelligence (AI) and instilling in AI values compatible only with humans and the sudden explosion of intelligence.
„The new order will be determined by AI rules and who will set them, Europe, the US or China? The question before us is whether the EU, the US and the UK will develop a plan to agree on. If it doesn't, China will step in to set the global rules of a technology that some fear could be the end of humanity, Zhelyazkov added.
„ Bulgaria's membership in the EU and NATO was not only a correct geopolitical direction of development, but a deeply conscious choice of the Bulgarian people - a choice that proved that our country was originally part of the spiritual and cultural space of Europe and of the democratic free world", said the speaker of the Bulgarian parliament, regarding the anniversary of Bulgaria's membership in NATO.
Freedom, peace and stability cannot be taken for granted. They must be protected at all times, especially in the radically deteriorated security situation in Europe after the Russian aggression in Ukraine. According to him, this has proven that NATO is more important than ever for our security and prosperity.
„In the face of this brutal and aggressive war, we must not only paradely be united and resolute, but also invest in strengthening our defense and deterrence capabilities,” stated Zhelyazkov.
According to him, Bulgaria's membership in NATO provides new opportunities for cooperation with partner countries with which we share common interests.
According to Zhelyazkov, ongoing conflicts, instability and instability in the EU's neighboring countries undermine our security and are a fertile ground for our strategic competitors, as well as terrorist groups, to gain influence, destabilize our societies and threaten our security .