NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană visited Bulgaria for the annual exercise „Iron Strike” conducted by the NATO multinational battle group. He highlighted the strong display of NATO capabilities and interoperability, with troops from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Türkiye, and the United States working together for shared security. Geoană welcomed Bulgaria’s commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense in the coming years, which will make Bulgaria more secure and NATO stronger. He also highlighted NATO’s commitment to security in the Black Sea and steadfast support to Ukraine. Geoană highlighted the surge of Russian attacks in the Black Sea, including on civilian shipping lanes, and the need for increased surveillance and reconnaissance in the region. He welcomed Bulgaria’s cooperation with Romania and Türkiye to counter the threat of floating mines in the Black Sea, contributing to the broader effort toward restoring freedom of navigation in the region. Geoană met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, Minister of Defence Todor Tagarev, Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, and Allied personnel from NATO’s multinational battlegroup.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
Bulgaria Hailed For Work In Supporting Security of the Black Sea
Follow us
