NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Adrian Bradshaw is currently on a visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of Chief of Defence, Vice-Admiral Rumen Nikolov. Joint exercises and training on the territory of Bulgaria as part of the Alliance’s measures for guaranteeing security and crisis response in the region – these were some of the highlights during the first visit to this country by NATO’s second in command in Europe. After his talks in Sofia, General Bradshaw praised Bulgaria’s participation in different NATO operations and the country’s willingness to build a communication centre between the Bulgarian armed forces and NATO. The communication centre will coordinate joint international exercises but will also have functions connected with the Alliance’s rapid deployment forces, General Bradshaw said.

Asked whether Bulgaria’s security was under threat by developments in Ukraine, General Bradshaw once again gave guarantees on behalf of the Alliance that the member countries in Eastern Europe will be protected:

General Bradshaw stressed further that:

General Adrian Bradshaw specified that the NATO Force Integration Unit was not a combat but a staff formation. The structure will function in Sofia with a staff of 40, half of them Bulgarian. Bulgaria will have another two NATO centres – a communication centre for the exchange of information among ships in Varna on the Black Sea and a command-communication centre in Sofia, Vice-Admiral Rumen Nikolov said. Joint exercises and training on the country’s territory are not connected with any specific operations, he said, but aim to maintain an efficient army. If Bulgaria were to cut down on the number of exercises, that would bring down the standard of combat training which is paramount in view of conflicts from the South and to the East, Vice-Admiral Nikolov said and added that Bulgaria is ready to fulfill its commitments to ensuring security in the region.

English version: Milena Daynova