site.btaDefence Chief Eftimov Meets US Army Lieutenant General Charles Costanza

Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov on Thursday met with Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, Commanding General of the US Army V Corps, the Defence Ministry said.

"Conducting bilateral training with the US forces plays an important role in enhancing the capabilities and interoperability of the Bulgarian Army, thus increasing NATO's deterrence and defence capabilities in the region. Joint exercises add high value to the Alliance's readiness to address current security crises. In this sense, the main priorities of bilateral training include increasing its comprehensiveness, improving interoperability and enhancing the realism of exercises," said Admiral Eftimov.

Admiral Eftimov thanked Lieutenant General Costanza for the readiness and plans for assistance from V Corps during the introduction of the new Stryker combat vehicles in the Bulgarian land forces.

During the meeting the issues of bilateral training planning, capability building and modernization of Bulgaria’s armed forces were discussed. The participants in the meeting agreed that the military cooperation between the two countries is of mutual interest and represents a reliable mechanism for the development of the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States.

Admiral Eftimov and Lieutenant General Costanza stressed that the participation of the two countries in the NATO Multinational Battle Group in Bulgaria with Italy as a framework country demonstrates the common determination to share the responsibilities for ensuring the security of the NATO Eastern Flank member countries.