site.btaPresident Plevneliev: NATO Must Become Better Prepared, More Resolved to Defend Member States' Security

ESD 15:08:00 05-09-2014
MY1507ES.114
114 POLITICS - NATO - PLEVNELIEV - STATEMENT

President Plevneliev: NATO Must Become
Better Prepared, More Resolved
to Defend Member States' Security


Newport, Wales, September 5 (BTA) - The instability and
conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa
drastically change the security environment in Europe and are
putting at risk the democratic principles and values and the
rule of law, President Rosen Plevneliev's Press Secretariat
quoted him as saying during the NATO Summit here on Friday.

Plevneliev was adamant that these principles are the foundation
of the democratic societies which make up NATO, which is why the
Alliance must become better prepared and more resolved to
defend the security of its member states.

Friday's decision to approve NATO's Readiness Action Plan
increases readiness and the capacity to address common
challenges, he said. According to Plevneliev the plan contains
measures for both guaranteeing the separate states' security, as
well as adapting the Alliance to the new realities and is "the
Summit's most important achievement".

The President described the efficient allied command and local
management as a key element for allowing NATO to adapt to the
new security challenges. Bulgaria supports the proposal to
establish an allied command and management in the countries from
NATO's eastern flank. Elements of the command structures must
be placed in the entire Eastern region which NATO is responsible
for, including in Bulgaria, said Plevneliev.

Plevneliev gave some examples of Bulgaria's contribution to
building NATO's capacities in the region, including the
establishment of a NATO allied command structure on Bulgarian
territory, connecting the joint Bulgarian-US training centre in
Novo Selo to the training centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland, among
others.

Bulgaria will continue working for establishing closer
cooperation between the special forces, in the field of crisis
management, responding to natural disasters and cyber security,
the Bulgarian Head of State noted.

Plevneliev once again called for increasing NATO's surveillance
and warning capabilities in the Black Sea region and for using a
potential intelligent defence, as well as joint funding of
projects common to the countries in the region.

The President welcomed US President Barack Obama's initiative to
improve naval cooperation between the US, Bulgarian and
Romanian navies in the Black Sea with the goal of improving
their readiness. SN/MY