site.btaRakovski Defence College's National Security Faculty Marks 30th Anniversary

The G. S. Rakovski National Defence College Monday marked the 30th anniversary of its Faculty of National Security and Defence. Attending the solemn event were caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, the head of the National Defence College, Major General Stoyko Prokopiev, and the Dean of the Faculty of National Security and Defence, Colonel Zhivko Zhelev.

In his speech, the Defence Minister said that the preparation of the College's students becomes evident in real life when they take office at responsible command posts and have to show they have the necessary potential. "At no time have our graduates been in a situation not to be prepared, not to be equal when they occupy international positions at NATO headquarters and in the participation of the Bulgarian army in missions and operations of the Alliance," Zapryanov said.

In his words, the present times have returned the military instrument to global politics. "Russia's brutal war against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than two and a half years and has no prospect of ending, has emboldened many totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, including in regions close to us," he said, noting that wars provide a serious impetus for the use of modern technology, which makes it necessary to rethink Bulgarian training.

Major General Prokopiev congratulated all those who have been part of the Faculty of National Security and Defence from its beginning until today.

Colonel Zhelev presented to the attendees the achievements to date and the current state of the Faculty and outlined the main challenges to its development.

The celebration of the Faculty's 30th anniversary continued with the scientific conference "Faculty of National Security and Defence: 30 years of Security and Defence Science", where four thematic papers were discussed.

The Faculty of National Security and Defence was established in 1994 as a General Staff College in order to fill the gap in the national training of senior officers for the needs of the strategic and operational units of the Bulgarian Army.