NATO declared that has achieved an interim BMD capability and operational readiness of its missile defense system on the territory of the European countries of the Alliance. That was what the President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces Rossen Plevneliev announced after the NATO Summit meeting which is held in Chicago, USA, and his statement was quoted by the Bulgarian News Agency. During the meeting of the heads of state and government of the NATO member-countries, a report on the Alliance’s defense capabilities was presented, and special declaration was adopted. Through it, a powerful signal to member countries and partner countries was sent that the Alliance is able to successfully deal with all possible challenges irrespective of the existing economic constraints

At the Chicago Summit, in which the Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov and the Chief of Defense General Simeon Simeonov participate, the interim NATO BMD capability on the territory of the European member countries was declared. Five countries: Turkey, Romania, Poland, Italy and Spain have adopted engagements during this phase. The territory of Bulgaria is within the coverage of protection with the already available capabilities for counteraction against possible intercontinental ballistic missile threat coming from unstable regions.

The Minister of Defense Anu Anguelov and the Chief of Defense General Simeon Simeonov depart today, 18 May 2012, for the USA where they will participate in the Meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the NATO member-countries. They are members of the Bulgarian delegation led by the President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces Rossen Plevneliev.

The NATO Summit meeting will be opened on 20 May (Sunday) by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. At a military commemorative ceremony, the Heads of State and Government and the members of the delegations will pay homage to the memory of the servicemen who died in NATO missions. In the course of the two-day forum, the following issues of crucial importance will be discussed: the Alliance’s commitments on completing the transition in Afghanistan and guaranteeing a stable future for the country, development of the Alliance’s defense capabilities, the future of NATO’s forces in compliance with the smart defense concept which will acquire a concrete dimension.

Minister Anguelov will participate in a working dinner of the Ministers of Defense on behalf of Mr. Leon Panetta, the US Secretary of Defense. The participants in the dinner will discuss joint development of the capabilities and NATO’s smart defense initiative. Issues related to NATO missile defense and Allied Ground Surveillance will be brought to the Defense Ministers’ attention.

A dinner on behalf of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey is included in the individual program of the Chief of Defense, General Simeon Simeonov. The Chiefs of Defense of the NATO member countries will participate in the dinner.

Seventeen junior officers and nineteen non-commissioned officers of the armed forces of the Republic of Bulgaria received certificates of completed joint training (Course „NCO academy - the Developing NCO & Officer Roles and Responsibilities”) during a formal ceremony at Vassil Levski National Military university, in the city of Veliko Turnovo.

The joint training was conducted in the period 14-17 May 2012 under the leadership of US Marine Corps instructors as a part of the joint Bulgaria-American training „Black Sea Rotation Forces 12”. Its host was the Professional College for non-commissioned officers to the University. Servicemen from the Joint Forces Command, the Land Forces, the Air Force and the Navy also participated in the event from the Bulgarian side.

The goal of the joint training is to exchange experience acquired during the participation in operations (missions) of the US Marine Corps, and to discuss the principles and the activities necessary to develop leadership preparation and heighten the prestige of the Non-commissioned officers’ corps in the armed forces of the Republic of Bulgaria as well as of the junior officers, commanders of small tactical units.

Colonel Yavor Mateev, Chief of Department “Joint facilities” to the Ministry of Defence and Secretary of the joint committee on the implementation of the “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the USA for cooperation in the sphere of defence”, First Sergeant Ivelin Indzhov - Sergeant Major to the Joint Forces Command, and Officer Candidate Nilolay Nikolov, Director of the Professional College for non-commissioned officers were also present at the official ceremony.

“Human Resources Diversity along with the integration of women and their experience and qualification contribute to the enrichment of the national and international security and defence structures with varied perspectives and approaches. Women can have a decisive role in policy shaping, decision making and implementation of decisions at strategic, operational and tactical levels in the area of defence,” said today, May 15, Deputy Minister of Defence Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova during the presentation of the Female Leadership in Security and Defence Project.

This project, of which Bulgaria is the Leading Nation, is among the priority ones within NATO’s Smart Defence initiative. In the period July 9 – 11, 2012 Sofia will host the forthcoming first high-level conference devoted to Female Leaders in Security and Defence: a Roadmap to Turn Potential into Capabilities. The Conference will be held under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria and Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces Mr. Rosen Plevneliev.

“Our guiding vector is to involve in the capability building process all those who are professionals and can work in the sphere of security and defence. We have to augment capabilities engaging women in leadership positions,” pointed out Deputy Minister Tzvetkova and further elaborated that Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov and his team have removed all limits and constraints in the Bulgarian Armed Forces connected with female education and career development opportunities.

Deputy Minister Tzvetkova also stated that it is necessary to introduce relevant policies and practices both at national and international level to give impetus and inspire competent implementation of human capital and talent emphasizing that the project is not focused on gender equality but aims at capabilities improvement. “Women can be most contributing both as participants in peacekeeping and peace securing missions and operations and as holders of leadership positions and decision- makers”, declared Deputy Minister Tzvetkova.

The project presentation in the Central Military Club’s Ceremony Hall was attended by Vice Admiral Plamen Manushev, Deputy Chief of Defence and LTC Nevyana Miteva, Chair of the Bulgaria’s Association of Women Serving in the Military.
In his address, Vice Admiral Plamen Manushev, Deputy Chief of Defence expressed full support to Deputy Minister Tzvetkova and underlined that his experience in the Navy has confirmed that women-professionals perform their duties with such competence as their male colleagues.

The presentation of the project was joined by commanders and service members of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria, lecturers of “G.S.Rakovski” National Military Academy and “Vasil Levski” National Military University, representatives of the Defence Advanced Research Institute, of the Bulgaria’s Association of Women Serving in the Military and other Non-Government Organizations.

The Commander of Navy, Rear Admiral Rumen Nikolov, participated in the Meeting of the Chiefs of European Navies - CHENS 2012, which was held in Oostende, Belgium, on 10—11 May 2012. Within the framework of the annual forum, the Chiefs of European Navies of NATO or EU member countries discussed topical issues of the struggle against contemporary threats and challenges related to maritime environment, the cooperation among the Navies and the state-owned and private organizations that have adopted maritime responsibilities as well as other issues of mutual interest.

The Chairmanship of the forum has a one-year mandate and is replaced on the principle of rotation. The Bulgarian Navy became a member of CHENS in 2005, and our country hosted the CHENS Meeting in 2008, in Varna.

The basic subject of this year’s forum “Cooperation, pooling and sharing of capabilities” is exceptionally topical under the contemporary conditions of financial crisis and limited defence budgets in all European countries.

Observers of the EU Military Secretariat, NATO International Military Staff and US Naval Forces Europe – US European Command participated in the Meeting as well.