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.
