The strength of NATO should be judged not only by its military capabilities but also by its contribution to peace, security, and global stability, National Assembly Speaker Mihaela Dotsova said during her address at the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul.
Dotsova is leading the Bulgarian parliamentary delegation at the forum, accompanied by the head of the National Assembly's delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Ivan Lalov, and deputy delegation head Daniel Mitov. The gathering brings together parliamentary leaders and delegation heads from all 32 NATO member states, alongside the leadership of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The summit was opened by Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus.
Addressing the participants, Dotsova said the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara offers Bulgaria an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the Alliance's principles, collective defense, and security across the Euro-Atlantic region. “NATO's true strength is measured not only by its military capabilities, but also by its leading role in peace, security and stability efforts around the world,” she said.
According to Dotsova, stronger European defense capabilities should be viewed as complementary to NATO rather than as an alternative. She stressed that a more capable European defense contributes to both transatlantic and global security while reinforcing the Alliance's overall effectiveness.
