BRUSSELS/SOFIA – Starting Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit eastern EU member states Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Romania, as announced by the Press and Media Department of the EC Representation in Bulgaria.
On Sunday, August 31, she will arrive in Bulgaria to meet with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. Together, they will tour the leading state-owned military enterprise and the largest ammunition production facility in the nation.
This visit underscores the EU’s commitment to supporting member states that share borders with Russia and Belarus. Discussions will focus on European security and defense with various government and military officials.
The visit’s itinerary kicks off in Riga, where President von der Leyen will meet Prime Minister Evika Silina and tour a facility producing unmanned aerial vehicles, funded by the EU through the NextGenerationEU initiative.
Later that day, she will be in Helsinki for a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. They will address Europe’s strategies in response to threats posed by Russia’s shadow fleet and military actions targeting critical underwater infrastructure, including communication and energy pipelines. A working dinner will follow, hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
On Saturday, August 30, von der Leyen will visit Estonia to meet with Prime Minister Kristen Michal and hold discussions with the Estonian defense forces and NATO representatives.
On Sunday, August 31, her itinerary includes a meeting in Poland with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. They will visit the border with Belarus to observe monitoring and safeguarding operations in the region.
On Monday, September 1, she will travel to Vilnius for a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, followed by a visit to the Belarus border to evaluate preparations against hybrid and conventional threats.
In the afternoon, she will head to Romania to meet with President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and will visit the border with Ukraine.
President von der Leyen will discuss EU-NATO cooperation and strategies related to the prevention, detection, defense, and deterrence of maritime and hybrid threats, as stated by the EC Representation in Bulgaria. (August 28)
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