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Regular Romanian-Bulgarian meetings are needed in order to strengthen defense cooperation in accordance with the plan NATO has activated for Romania and Bulgaria, the two countries that share the same destiny, of ensuring security in the region, visiting Bulgarian Defense Minister Dragomir Zakov said on Friday in Bucharest.
"As agreed, these meetings must take place on a regular basis, because Bulgaria and Romania are not only close allies, close neighbors, not only are they faced with the same challenges and threats, but they share the same destiny as allies, as neighbors, of ensuring the security of the region. And we strongly believe in this. There's a NATO plan which has been activated for Romania and Bulgaria, and it's very important that we meet and discuss how to implement the decisions in order to strengthen the practical dimension of defense cooperation. (...) We are ready to work together for the security of the region, for the security of our nations," Dragomir Zakov declared after the meeting with the Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dincu.
DefMin Zakov also referenced his visit to Kyiv together with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.
"I was part of the delegation led by Bulgarian Prime Minister these days to Kyiv and I saw firsthand the devastating effects of the Russian attacks. What we saw on TV was a far cry from what we saw on site. And in fact, leaving Kyiv last night, we saw three missiles flying over our heads. The Ukrainian air defense was able to intercept one of them, the other two hit residential buildings in Kyiv. Words are superfluous under such circumstances," the Bulgarian Defense Minister said.
He explained that "NATO is setting up two battle groups in the region, one in Romania and another one in Bulgaria, and the latter is about to become operational."
"We are also prepared to work together in multinational exercises, to increase the interoperability of our troops so that our soldiers are able to work together, talk to each other and fight together. I am leaving Bucharest with a strong feeling for the Romanian nation. I am confident that our successes will continue, that we will work hand in hand to increase the security of our nations, as well as the security of the Alliance," Zakov concluded. AGERPRES
