site.btaBulgaria, United States Sign Road Map for Military Cooperation

October 7 (BTA) - Bulgarian Minister of Defence Krassimir Karakachanov and US Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper signed a 10-year road map on military cooperation, the Bulgarian Defence Ministry said in a press release.

Karakachanov is paying a working visit to the US, which started on October 5.

The road map says that the US Department of Defense and the Bulgarian Defence Ministry have a shared gaol to develop military capabilities. Based on the Agreement on Defence Cooperation between the US Administration and the Bulgarian government signed in Sofia in April 2006, the US Department of Defense and the Bulgarian Defence Ministry reconfirm their strategic partnership under the current road map.

The road map outlines the following objectives and priorities in the cooperation until the end of 2030:

- Rendering the cooperation with the United States in the area of security in line with the capabilities goals of NATO and the national priorities, with a stress on modernization, readiness and mobility, in line with NATO agreements;
- Aiding the defence institutions for their more tangible and more transparent work which will contribute for a more effective utilization of next-generation military capabilities;
- Expanding the cooperation in the Black Sea region for deterring and counteracting external threats in the maritime and air space;
- Expanding the cooperation in the Black Sea region for deterring and counteracting external threats and challenges in the navy and air defence;
- Cooperation in the area of cyber-security to improve the defence measures to prevent malware cyber security breakthroughs in the defence systems, detection and neutralization of such actions and attacks, and effective counteractions against adversaries;
- Aiding Bulgaria in respect of commitments Under Article 3 of the North Atlantic Treaty to building national resilience, which is the combination of civil preparedness and military capacity.

In respect of these priorities, the United States and Bulgaria plan to implement activities in the military cooperation defined in the joint lines of effort (LOEs) of defence cooperation. NV/ZH
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