With these words, the Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov addressed today, May 21, to the officers, sergeants and soldiers of the Bulgarian company of the Operational Reserve Forces of the NATO Stabilization Forces in Kosovo. The ceremony of sending off the Bulgarian contingent took place on the “Georgi Izmirliev“ in Blagoevgrad.
„The order to activate the contingent came on Friday evening, and on Tuesday we are sending over 100 men and women – manned, certified, motivated, ready to fulfill the mission”, emphasized Admiral Eftimov.
He pointed out that with the additional deployment of the contingent in Kosovo, we now have about 300 military personnel, which is a significant contribution to the NATO operation.
The Chief of Defense noted that in times of geopolitical confrontation, the Bulgarian Army is a guarantor of peace and stability not only for Bulgaria, but also for the Western Balkans region. “This requires a lot of effort, preparation, numerous certifications, hardships and, above all, discipline”, he was categorical.
In his speech, the Deputy Commander of the Second Multinational Battalion of the Operational Reserve Forces of the Alliance Stabilization Forces in Kosovo, Major Krasimir Damyanov, thanked the military leadership of the Ministry of Defense for the trust shown to him.
„I am convinced that with joint efforts we will build a cohesive team that will cope with the tasks assigned to it and will raise the prestige of the Armed Forces, the Ground Forces and the Third Brigade Command,”, he said.
The Bulgarian contingent is composed mainly of servicemen from the Third Brigade Command – Blagoevgrad. He will be tasked with supporting efforts to restore and maintain security in Kosovo.