site.btaBulgarian Defence Minister Zapryanov Confers with Turkish Deputy National Defence Minister Durdali

Bulgarian caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov conferred with Turkish Deputy National Defence Minister Bilal Durdali in Sofia on Friday, Bulgaria's Defence Ministry said in a press release. The two sides noted the excellent bilateral defence cooperation. 

The talks focused on security risks in the Black Sea region. Special attention was paid to the mine action group established by the three Black Sea allies - Bulgaria, Turkiye and Romania. It was highlighted that the group was formed in a rapid pace. The meeting further emphasized on the Memorandum of Understanding regarding cross-border airspace security operations between Bulgaria and Turkiye that was signed in end-February.

During the meeting, Zapryanov welcomed Turkiye's newly appointed Ambassador to Bulgaria Mehmet Sait Uyanik.

For his part, Durdali stressed that Bulgaria is a very important ally, neighbour and friend. He noted that he highly appreciated the support that Bulgaria had given to the establishment of the mine action group, adding that this initiative would help to reduce tensions in the Black Sea region.

Cooperation on strengthening Euro-Atlantic unity and the Alliance's defence potential were among the other highlights of the meeting. Being good neighbours and NATO allies, the two sides voiced hope that the positive trends in bilateral relations will continue in the future.

The meeting was attended by caretaker Deputy Defence Minister Radostin Iliev, acting Director of the Defence Policy and Planning Directorate Lyubomir Monov, Head of the Ministry's Bilateral and Regional Cooperation Department Daniela Grigorova, Turkiye’s military attaché in Bulgaria Murat Payas, and representatives of the Turkish defence industry.