site.btaDefence Minister Tagarev to Take Part in European Defence and Security Conference, NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting

Defence Minister Todor Tagarev will visit Brussels to take part in a series of EU and NATO forums on improving defence capabilities, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

Minister Tagarev will participate in the Third European Conference on Defence and Security on October 10. He will share the Bulgarian national experience on the topic "Ammunition Increase and Joint Acquisition: good practices and challenges at national and European level".

This cycle of annual conferences was launched to promote European security cooperation and serves as a platform for in-depth discussions between high-level interested parties, including senior EU and Member State policymakers, as well as leaders of European defence companies. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss current and future European defence programmes and specific initiatives developed since the start of the war in Ukraine.

In the period October 11-12, Tagarev will also take part in the regular meeting of the defence ministers of NATO Member States.

The forum will provide an opportunity to discuss key decisions related to the Alliance's deterrence and defence capabilities taken at the Vilnius Summit in Lithuania in July, the current status of missions and operations, as well as preparations for the upcoming 2024 Summit in Washington, DC.

On October 11, before the meeting of the NATO Member States' defence ministers, Tagarev and Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov will participate in the regular meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group for the provision of defence assistance to Ukraine. They will also hold a meeting with the Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, to discuss issues related to security in the Black Sea region and the implementation of the Vilnius Summit decisions.