The election of Donald Trump and the control of the Republican Party in the US House of Representatives and Senate in the next two years constitute an opportunity for Bulgaria to re-establish itself as a recognisable and predictable ally of the United States.
Overcoming the political crisis, combined with deepening bilateral dialogue with Washington, will restore Bulgaria's reputation as a source of stability in Southeast Europe.
In 2017, for the first time, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and President Donald Trump established a strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States. By ordering F-16 fighter jets - Block 70, Bulgaria demonstrated its readiness to meet its NATO obligations by spending at least 2% of GDP on defence. The largest investment in Bulgaria's modern history in rearmament was an expression of the desire and determination to deepen the strategic relationship with the US and break the dependence on Russia. To this initiative can be added the decision to purchase the Stryker ground machines and to build new capacity for the Kozloduy nuclear power plant with Westinghouse.
There is unrealised political and economic capital in the Bulgarian-US relationship in terms of connectivity, energy supply and infrastructure projects for the construction of the pan-European Corridor 8.
In the context of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Bulgaria represents a strategic ally of the United States in terms of forward presence in NATO's southeastern flank.
It is up to the government of Bulgaria to analyse the state of bilateral dialogue and develop joint projects and concrete initiatives to coincide with the priorities of President Trump's administration. I BGNES
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Comment by BGNES.
