Deputy Secretary General visits Bulgaria and meets with EU Defence Ministers
NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller was in Sofia (4-5 May 2018) to discuss NATO’s response to current security challenges, Bulgaria’s contributions to the Alliance, and NATO-EU cooperation.
During her first visit to Bulgaria as Deputy Secretary General, Gottemoeller met with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and members of his government, as well as Vice President Iliana Yotova. She updated them on the preparations for the NATO Summit which will take place on 11-12 July. Security in the Black Sea region, Bulgaria’s contribution to NATO’s operations, defence spending plans and NATO’s approach to Russia were addressed as well.
On Saturday, the Deputy Secretary General attended the meeting of EU Ministers of Defence, hosted by Bulgaria as Presidency of the European Council. Crisis management and NATO-EU cooperation, especially in the area of military mobility, were adiscussed. "Military mobility is an area where the interests of our organisations clearly converge, and it is essential to ensure that our efforts are coherent and complementary," Gottemoeller underlined.
Visiting a day before the Bulgarian Armed Forces Day, also called Bravery Day (held on 6 May), the Deputy Secretary General has paid tribute to those who serve under the flags of Bulgaria and NATO. "I am so glad to be here on the eve of this important holiday, to honour the men and women of Bulgaria's Armed Forces," Gottemoeller said, recognising the contributions made by the Bulgarian military from Kosovo to Afghanistan, and from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.