BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 8. Minister of
Defense Atanas Zapryanov met with NATO Deputy Secretary General
Radmila Šekerinska, who is visiting Bulgaria for the opening of the
largest multinational emergency management exercise to date,
BULGARIA-2025, Trend reports.
The exercise is jointly organized by NATO’s Emergency Planning
Centre (EADRCC) and the Ministry of Interior, with participation
from Bulgarian Armed Forces units.
During the meeting, they discussed issues related to NATO’s
deterrence and defense capabilities, security developments in the
Black Sea and Western Balkans regions, challenges stemming from the
war in Ukraine, and other current topics on the Alliance’s
agenda.
Minister Zapryanov briefed the NATO Deputy Secretary General on
Bulgaria’s defense policy priorities and the ongoing modernization
process in the Armed Forces. He reaffirmed Bulgaria’s commitments
to the Alliance’s collective defense, emphasizing the importance of
fair burden-sharing, defense investments, strengthening the defense
industry’s capabilities, and using new technologies and innovations
to build defense capacities.
Deputy Secretary General Šekerinska highlighted that Bulgaria is
a valuable and reliable NATO ally. She praised the country’s
potential for developing its defense industry and its consistent
efforts to modernize the Bulgarian Army.
Deputy Secretary General Šekerinska and Minister Zapryanov also
visited the NATO Multinational Battle Group in Bulgaria. The Battle
Group is a key element of the Alliance’s deterrence and defense
posture on the Eastern flank and serves as an example of allied
solidarity.