Bulgaria should stay in EU, but defend own interests: President-elect

Bulgaria should remain in the European Union (EU) and NATO while protecting its national interests within the two entities, Bulgarian President-elect Rumen Radev said on Thursday.

"Bulgaria now is a member of the EU and NATO. The membership in the two unions is a strategic choice that should not be called into question," Radev told the National Assembly after taking oath.

However, effective membership in the EU and NATO presupposed a clear understanding and consistently defending the national interest within the two bodies, as well as active participation in decision making, Radev said.

"Bulgarian foreign policy should be formulated at home and be asserted abroad, not vice versa," said Radev, who was elected president of Bulgaria on Nov. 13 last year and will take office on Sunday.

This foreign policy should be open to the world and win friends and partners, not enemies, Radev said.

Bulgaria has the potential to strengthen its active role in southeast Europe through initiatives and actions aimed at enhancing security cooperation and economic development of the region, he said.

Meanwhile, a united Europe should be preserved at all costs despite Brexit, the migrant crisis, and the rise of anti-European sentiments, Radev said.

The role of the Bulgarian president is largely ceremonial.

However, the president is also the Supreme Commander in Chief of the country's armed forces. He can conclude international treaties, and appoint and remove the heads of Bulgaria's diplomatic and permanent missions at international organizations. Endit