site.btaJens Stoltenberg: NATO Supports Bulgaria's Efforts to Tackle Russian Espionage

March 22 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - NATO is following closely the Bulgarian investigation into the alleged Russian spy ring, the bloc's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels on Monday. "NATO is always very focused on the protection of classified documents and classified information, and we fully support the work of our ally Bulgaria to tackle Russia's malign activities on its territory," Stoltenberg said.

He noted that NATO's relationship with Russia will be discussed at a foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday. He said that, over the last few years, Russia has taken aggressive actions against nations such as Ukraine, has interfered in the Alliance's domestic political processes, trying to undermine the trust in democratic institutions, and has also interfered in election processes.

"The relationship between NATO and Russia has been difficult for some time now, and that is the result of Russia's behaviour," Stoltenberg said. "President Putin is, of course, ultimately responsible for all actions taken by the Russian state. We have seen a pattern of aggressive behaviour, including attempts at targeted killing of opponents. In NATO, we are also very concerned about the reports about Russia promising bounties for the killing of NATO soldiers in Afghanistan."

The Secretary General vowed that NATO will remain firm and strong in dealing with Russia, but at the same time it will continue to strive for a better relationship. "Even without reaching a better relationship, we need to manage the difficult relationship with our neighbour Russia, and that includes especially arms control," he said.

Concerning the future of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, Stoltenberg said all options remain open. The upcoming NATO foreign ministerial will also discuss threats emanating from China, terrorism, cybersecurity and hybrid attacks, he added. RI/VE
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