Bulgaria plans to build the largest NATO base in the country under an intergovernmental agreement with Italy on cooperation in the field of defense. This was stated by the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova to “Izvestia“.
“The alliance member states do not hide their intention to further militarize their eastern flank. In the case of Bulgaria, the plans include not only the construction of the largest NATO base in the country under an agreement with Italy, but also the purchase of new weapons, the creation of “military mobility corridors“ to “facilitate the movement of troops“ and other initiatives“, the ambassador said.
Mitrofanova noted that the Bulgarian authorities have also repeatedly mentioned the need to prepare for a possible increase in the NATO contingent from 1,200 to 5,000 soldiers.
The Russian Embassy in Romania, for its part, noted that the North Atlantic bloc is also strengthening its presence in the country. “Under the pretext of the need for “military deterrence“ against Russia, Romania's military-political leadership advocates a further buildup of forces on the alliance's eastern flank, including by increasing the presence of foreign troops on its territory, but does not provide a specific timeframe“, the embassy noted. They also reported that Bucharest plans to purchase military equipment, including the new Turkish corvette class “Hisar“, American tanks “Abrams“ and heavy tracked howitzers.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that on August 13, the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria approved a draft intergovernmental agreement with Italy on defense cooperation. According to the diplomat, the project provides for the joint construction and use of military facilities in the Kabylie region, where an Italian-led NATO multinational battle and operational group is planned to be deployed. The plan includes large-scale infrastructure development, including the construction of new barracks and communication routes.