site.btaMinistry of Defence: Bulgarian Contingent Rotation in NATO Battle Group at Novo Selo Training Ground

A ceremonial event marking the rotation of the Bulgarian contingent in the NATO Multinational Battle Group, hosted by Bulgaria with Italy as the framework nation, took place on January 23 at the Novo Selo training ground, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release on Thursday.

The 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the 5th Brigade Command in Pleven assumed the duties within the battle group from the 29th Mechanized Infantry Battalion. The outgoing deputy commander of the battle group, Lieutenant Colonel Erhan Suleyman, handed over his responsibilities to Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Zahariev.

The ceremony was attended by the deputy commander of the Land Forces, Brigadier General Plamen Yordanov, and the commander of the Multinational Battle Group, Colonel Federico Madaluno.

Yordanov noted the importance of joint training for participants in the Multinational Battle Group to improve operational interoperability and thanked the Italian contingent for their efforts.

"The Bulgarian contingent approached each challenge with confidence and good preparation, and the soldiers standing before me demonstrated exceptional readiness and a desire to excel during every exercise," Madaluno said.