site.btaBulgaria-US Roadmap for 2020-2030 Being Elaborated in Area of Defence

Sofia, January 7 (BTA) - Defence Minister Krassimir
Karakachanov, US Ambassador to Bulgaria Herro Mustafa, and
officials from the US Department of Defense and the Bulgarian
Ministry of Defence Tuesday attended a lunch meeting aimed at
advancing the development of a 10-Year Bilateral Defence Plan,
the Defence Ministry reported. The US Department of Defense
Director for European Policy, Central and Southern Europe from
the Office of the US Secretary of Defense, Alton Buland, also
joined the talks.

Buland will also participate in the Bulgaria-US Strategic
Dialogue on Wednesday, along with US Under Secretary for
Political Affairs David Hale.

During the meeting, the sides agreed on the outlines of a
Bulgaria-US Roadmap for 2020-2030 and a rapid timeline for its
completion. The document will help guide Bulgarian and US
leaders in their joint efforts to further develop Bulgaria's
military capability by focusing on security cooperation efforts,
 particularly in the areas of defence institutions, maritime
domain awareness, cybersecurity, and the modernization of the
Bulgarian Armed Forces.

The strategy teams intend to share review drafts of the
Bulgaria-US Roadmap in April, and a final version of the
document is expected to be signed in Sofia in September.

NV/DS