NEWS

No country can guarantee its safety on its own. Bulgaria will be strong only if it is  integrated into the family of democratic countries, said President Rosen Plevneliev at the opening of the Centre of Excellence in investigating, building and improving NATO capabilities in Crisis Management and Disaster Relief as an international organization within the Alliance. This is the first NATO structure on Bulgarian territory and part of the network ?? Centres of Excellence of the Alliance. It is the result of the joint efforts of Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and the Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk. 

 

The opening of the NATO Centre in Bulgaria will contribute towards raising the operative compatibility and improvement of military and civil capabilities of the alliance for crisis management and disaster relief, underscored in his statement the Head of State. The instability of the conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa affect the security environment in Europe, engender common challenges before NATO and require a common reaction, also noted Rosen Plevneliev.

 

In the President’s view, in addition to the threats and risks of an asymmetrical nature, NATO allies should be prepared to effectively counteract the new type of “hybrid” activities for destabilization and opposition. “At the Summit meeting in Wales we reached a unanimous consensus regarding the measures to take. The Readiness Action Plan” was also adopted, underlined the Head of State. 

 

Rosen Plevneliev was adamant that only within the framework of a collective security and defence system can NATO countries guarantee their independence and protection of common human values, democracy and the rule of law. The initiatives “Intelligent defence“, “Connectedness of forces” and “Framework countries conception” provide the possibility for member countries to contribute towards the collective security by means of specialization and cooperation. “I sincerely hope that we will be more active in carrying out joint projects, as well as in building joint defence capabilities with the armed forces of our neighbours and partners. Bulgaria is a leading nation in the creation of this Centre and this is proof of our ambitions to be an active participant in integration processes”, said the President and appealed for a stronger Bulgarian presence in initiatives and projects within NATO and the European Union. 

 

The active participation of the Bulgarian defence industry will strengthen the capabilities of the EU and NATO, said Iliana Iotova at a meeting with the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich

Statement by Head of State Iliana Iotova

For projects aimed at improving connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye must be viewed as a whole, to be successful, and within the context of closer cooperation in Southeastern Europe. This will bolster both economic development and security in the region, whose strategic importance is growing. This was stated by President Iliana Iotova at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is on a formal visit to Bulgaria.

Albulena Haxhiu expressed her gratitude to President Iotova for Bulgaria’s support on Kosovo’s path toward membership in NATO and the European Union.