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    Parliament backs Ukraine's NATO membership after peace restoration on its territory

    Parliament backs Ukraine's NATO membership after peace restoration on its territory

    06/07/2023

    With 157 votes in favour and 57 against, Parliament backed Ukraine's membership in NATO after the restoration of peace on its territory.

    “In favour” were the MPs from GERB-UDF, “We continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria” (PP-DB), MRF and “There Is Such A People”, who are also submitters of the declaration. Against were the MPs from Revival and BSP for Bulgaria.

    The 49th National Assembly declares that the most direct and desirable way to restore peace in Ukraine, the Black Sea region and Europe is the complete and immediate voluntary withdrawal of the Russian Federation beyond the internationally recognized borders of all sovereign states affected by it.

    The National Assembly strongly insists on the immediate cessation of nuclear blackmail, as well as of all actions of the Russian Federation, in sharp contradiction with the Charter of the United Nations, which represent the most serious blow against the peace and well-being of both the European and Russian people. It supports the peace formula of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, whose goal is a lasting and just peace.

    In order to guarantee Ukraine's ability to defend itself from the aggressor on its territory, the National Assembly insists that the institutions in Bulgaria continue to provide it with political, financial, humanitarian, military, military-technical support until the full restoration of its sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders.

    The 49th National Assembly reaffirms its full and consistent support for NATO's independent of foreign factors policy of "Open Doors" and expects the Alliance to remain steadfastly committed to it; expects the Bulgarian government, including at the upcoming Alliance Summit in Vilnius in July this year, to express its position in support of Ukraine's NATO membership after peace is restored on its territory. The text also states that Parliament supports the start of the planning process and the adoption of specific parameters and time-frame for Ukraine's accession to NATO, the deepening of the Alliance's political and practical support to it and the expansion of strategic relations.

    The National Assembly calls on the allies to use the Vilnius Summit to outline clear parameters along the path of Ukraine's NATO membership.

    Parliament also adopted a Decision to accelerate the process of renewal of the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) wartime departmental stockpiles. Submitters are MPs from GERB-UDF, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF).

    It is envisaged that the Council of Ministers will speed up the process of renovation of the Ministry of Defense's wartime departmental stockpiles, representing weapons, ammunition, explosives and pyrotechnic articles, by replacing them with newly produced ones.

    It is also written that the government should renegotiate the terms and quantities in the contract concluded with Vazovski Machine-Building Plants EAD in the presence of production capabilities of the state-owned public enterprise for this.

    The bulk of the munitions available in the Armed Forces, set aside as departmental wartime stockpiles (DWP), were produced in the 1970s to 1990s, with specific nomenclatures even earlier, submitters said.

    At present, the ammunition set aside as Air Force is suitable for combat use, but given their time of production, it can reasonably be assumed that they are at the end of their operational resource. This requires urgent action to renew the stock, according to GERB-UDF, PP-DB and MRF.

    Given the time of production of ammunition available in the Armed Forces, another, no less important, objective of the renovation is also to minimize the prerequisites for the occurrence of incidents with serious consequences caused by old and non-compliant ammunition, some of the arguments for the draft decision state.

    The Parliament instructed the Minister of Energy to hold negotiations with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine or his representative in order to sell the equipment intended for the Belene NPP project. The amendments were adopted by 155 votes “in favour” and 57 “against”.

    MPs from GERB-UDF, “We continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria”, MRF and “There is Such a People” supported the decision. “Against” voted the deputies from Revival and BSP for Bulgaria.

    According to the adopted decision, the sale price cannot be lower than the one Bulgaria has paid for the equipment - approximately BGN 1.2 billion. Negotiations are expected to take place within 60 days of the decision's entry into force. The Minister of Energy should inform the National Assembly of the actions taken and the concrete results of the negotiations.

    Declaration In support of Ukraine's NATO membership