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Bulgarian Defense Minister Krassimir Karakachanov and Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed a “Roadmap for cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and the United States in the field of defense” during a meeting at the Pentagon. This was announced by the press center of the Ministry of Defense.
This aims to deepen cooperation in the Black Sea region, support the implementation of NATO capacity goals, cooperate in the field of cybersecurity, and strengthen resilience to crises.
The signed roadmap will support the development of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, including with regard to the NATO Forces Capabilities Goals, Minister Karakachanov said.
He stressed that despite the crisis with Kovid-19 and the possible impact on the country’s economy, the Ministry of Defense continues to work on large projects to modernize the Bulgarian Army.
Investments in the defense field mean more jobs achieved through the development of industrial cooperation with leading companies in the military-industrial complex.
We are pleased with the US decision to add Bulgaria to the list of countries that can benefit from deferred payment in possible future projects, said Minister Karakachanov.
We highly appreciate Bulgaria’s role as a generator of security and stability both at the regional level and within the collective security, said US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who explicitly thanked Bulgaria for its fruitful bilateral cooperation.
His country is an example of several NATO member states implementing the plan to increase the military budget to 2% of gross domestic product for defense purposes, said Mark Esper, noting the common interests of the two countries in the Sea region. Black.
The Bulgarian minister’s work program continued at the US State Department with two meetings: Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale and Under Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Clark Cooper.
During the meetings, security issues in the Black Sea region, the Western Balkans and the Middle East were discussed; the increase in the presence, scale and intensity of joint exercises and training within the framework of the Defense Cooperation Agreement in force since 2006.
Minister Karakachanov reaffirmed Bulgaria’s position on the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union, noting the delay in fulfilling some of the commitments made by the Republic of North Macedonia under the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborhood and Cooperation, which create difficulties in the development of bilateral relations. relations.
In the coming days, meetings and conversations will be held with the Governor of the State of Tennessee, as well as with representatives of the Tennessee National Guard, with which the Bulgarian Army has established bilateral cooperation and numerous joint projects since 1993.
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