On July 31, 2025, the conference “NATO after The Hague ’25: The Bulgarian Perspective 2025–2035” took place at the Central Military Club in Sofia, organized by the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria with the support of the Union of Reserve Officers “Atlantic” (SORA). The forum gathered key representatives of the executive and legislative branches, former prime ministers, analysts, and security experts to discuss how Bulgaria will respond to NATO’s new strategic goals following the summit in The Hague.
Panel I: Ministerial Dialogue – “The Hague ’25 and NATO’s Strategic Transformation”
Moderator: Elena Poptodorova – Vice President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria
Participants:
Atanas Zapryanov – Minister of Defense
Georg Georgiev – Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ivan Kostov – Prime Minister of Bulgaria (1997–2001)
The ministerial dialogue focused on new commitments for sustainable defense funding and the need for long-term planning to achieve the strategic goal of 5% of GDP by 2035 in a phased manner. Minister Zapryanov outlined key priorities – air and missile defense, cybersecurity, communication systems, strike capabilities, and ammunition – emphasizing the importance of local involvement from the Bulgarian industry.
Georg Georgiev highlighted that the geopolitical dynamic requires stronger Bulgarian engagement within NATO, with shared responsibility based not only on financial aspects but also on political and moral arguments. Ivan Kostov offered a historical perspective and stressed the importance of interparty consensus on security matters, recalling Bulgaria’s role during critical transitional periods.
The panel concluded with an open Q&A session, allowing the audience in the hall to actively engage in the discussion.
Panel II: Parliamentary Perspective – Political and Civic Commitments to Security
Moderator: Elena Poptodorova – Vice President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria
Participants:
Dimitar Gardev – Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of European Funds
Hristo Gadzhev – Chair of the Defense Committee
Atanas Slavov – Defense Committee
Evgeni Kanev – Macroeconomist and PhD in Economics
This panel presented the legislative perspective on security commitments. Participants emphasized the need for cross-party consensus on long-term defense programs and clear rules for transparency, efficiency, and oversight of public investments. Hristo Gadzhev and Ivaylo Atanas Slavov stressed the necessity of reforming the reserve and procurement systems, as well as training personnel for the needs of a modern army.
The discussion underscored the need for foreign policy predictability and institutional stability in fulfilling allied commitments. Evgeni Kanev brought an economic interpretation to the topic, noting that defense investments should not be viewed merely as costs but as drivers of industrial, technological, and regional development.
Technology Partner – SubtitleNEXT
Real-time subtitles and interactive captions were provided during the conference thanks to SubtitleNEXT – a leading technology solution for multilingual accessibility and event communication. This facilitated content comprehension for all participants in the hall, including international guests.
The event reaffirmed Bulgaria’s position as a responsible and committed ally, fully aware that security is not just a matter of military power and equipment, but also of legislation, economy, and public support. The conference was covered by leading national media and laid the foundation for continued dialogue among institutions, experts, and civil society organizations in the pursuit of NATO’s goals through 2035.
