Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov welcomed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on his first visit to Bulgaria
19 December 2024 News
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov participated in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the framework of his first visit to Bulgaria at the Novo Selo training ground, where our country is hosting the NATO Multinational Battle Group.
Mr. Rutte was briefed on the activities and composition of the Multinational Battle Group on our territory, which includes nine allied nations with Italy as a framework country.
During the talks, Minister Kondov pointed out that with his presence on the eve of the upcoming Christmas holidays the NATO Secretary General sends a clear signal of encouragement and support to the allied forces on our territory, as well as to our country as a reliable ally. The first diplomat pointed out that over the past 20 years our country has played a crucial role in maintaining security in the Black Sea region as well as in the Western Balkans, and the role of the NATO Multinational Battle Group in Bulgaria is crucial for ensuring a more secure environment on the Eastern flank and in the entire Euro-Atlantic area.
Minister Kondov said that of particular importance and interest for Bulgaria is the strengthening of the security of the Eastern flank, in line with the decisions of the NATO summits in Washington and Vilnius, recalling our commitment to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defence in the coming years.
The foreign minister pointed out that Bulgaria will continue to support Ukraine so that it can prevail against Russian aggression — both through the recently established NATO mission to support and train Ukraine’s security, through the European Union’s mechanisms, and bilaterally, in order to strengthen the overall combat readiness of the Ukrainian forces.
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