Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during their official meeting in Varna, Bulgaria, Nov. 1, 2018. Photo: Bulgarian Government Press Office / Handout via Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Varna on Thursday ahead of a summit meeting with the leaders of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia.

“This is not just a meeting of friends, but it is, of course, to strengthen relations with each of these countries,” Netanyahu told reporters before he departed Ben-Gurion International Airport. “Yet it is also a bloc of countries with whom I want to promote my policy, to change the hypocritical and hostile attitude of the EU.”

“This is a process that will take time, but I believe in setting a goal and striving for it systematically, and I believe that this too will be achieved over time,” he continued. “This is important for the State of Israel, whose status is rising in the world.”

Watch a video of Netanyahu’s remarks (in Hebrew) below: