The Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexis Grinkevich, is holding official meetings today with Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov.
The visit is at the invitation of the Chief of Defense, Admiral Emil Eftimov. It is taking place at a critical geopolitical moment — just before the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Main highlights of the talks
The high-level discussions in Sofia focused on several strategic priorities for security in the region:
- Strengthening Defense: Strengthening NATO's southeastern flank is being discussed in response to the changed geopolitical environment.
- Black Sea Security: Expanding Joint Missions between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey to Protect Critical Underwater Infrastructure.
- BA Modernization: Plans for transforming financial resources into real combat capabilities are being assessed.
High assessment of Bulgaria
During his visit, General Grinkevich gave an extremely high assessment of our country as a stable and predictable ally.
„A stronger Bulgaria contributes to a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO. Your country is not only fulfilling its commitments made in The Hague in 2025, but has already exceeded the requirement for 2% of GDP for defense. Investments are on a steady path towards achieving 5% by 2035“, the Supreme Commander emphasized.
The general also highlighted the progress in rearmament. He reminded that Bulgaria has already received the first tranche of eight F-16 Block 70 fighters and is expecting the delivery of 183 “Stryker“ combat vehicles. It is planned that during the visit the foreign delegation and Admiral Eftimov will lay wreaths at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier.
Source: BTA, Ministry of Defense, Armymedia