MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Bulgaria’s President-elect Rumen Radev wants to deepen dialogue with Russia to stand up to the growing threat of Islamism, he said Thursday in an interview with national radio.
"Bulgaria is a full-fledged, loyal member of the European Union and NATO, which does not mean we don’t need to look for ways to increase trust and deepen dialogue with Russia, and deescalate the existing tension," Radev told the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
The president-elect, who is due to take office on January 22, said growing geopolitical threats, such as terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, could only be addressed by working together with Moscow.
Radev, a former air force commander and an independent backed by the Socialist Party, won the presidential election on November 13, prompting the prime minister’s coalition government to step down.
