site.btaChief of Defence Lt. General Botsev Discusses Bilateral Military Cooperation with Italian, Georgian Counterparts

Sofia, July 21 (BTA) - The Chief of Defence, Lt. General Andrei Botsev, Friday met with the Italian Chief of Defence Staff of the Italian Armed Forces, Claudio Graziano, and the Georgian Chief of General Staff, Major General Vladimir Chachibaya. Botsev expressed satisfaction with the excellent way in which the troops of the three countries demonstrated their training in the Saber Guardian 17 multinational exercise.

Botsev and Graziano underscored that the Military Cooperation Agreement between Bulgaria and Italy signed in February 2017 expands the opportunities for close cooperation between the various types of forces. The sides also discussed matters related to the changing international security environment, including the migrant flow from the south.

In turn, Botsev underscored before his Georgian colleague Chachibaya that, as a member of the EU and NATO, Bulgaria consistently supports Georgia in respect to its political association and economic integration in the European Union, as well as in its aspirations to join the Alliance. The sides also discussed the future development of joint training of the two countries' armed forces.