News Archive for 2012

“Our Military police company that will be awarded a certificate now, has to be ready to assume duty on providing for the Reserve of forces  of Altea Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1 September 2012,” Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov said on the Distinguished Visitors Day  of the joint Bulgarian-American exercise “Beyond the Horizon 2012”. “The servicemen of the company will stand in 15 hour readiness to be deployed up to 5-6 days in the region of Sarajevo,”   Minister Anguelov added and reminded the public that the Bulgarian company fulfilling tasks on the protection of forces at EUFOR Headquarters will have to be withdrawn in the future. The Minister of Defence pointed out that the exercise once again demonstrated the good interaction between the National Police and Military Police, and expressed his gratitude to the servicemen of the Tennessee National Guard, USA.

The training during “Beyond the Horizon 2012” is directed towards heightening the skills of the military police forces in eliminating the consequences of natural disasters and industrial breakdowns as well as towards improving the interaction between Service “Military Police” and Chief Directorate “Protection Forces Police”- Ministry of Interior.

During the Distinguished Visitors Day the following activities were demonstrated: providing and guaranteeing order and security in the zone of responsibility;  organizing temporary check points; patrolling; activities related to detaining persons; operational-search activities; searching water basins conducted by underwater divers; protection and escort of a module group tasked with destruction of open unexploded ammunition; control of mass disorders.

Five underwater divers, 30 servicemen of the Center for training and preparation of tank units in the town of Sliven, 10 Military Policemen of the Tennessee National Guard led by Major Sieckgraff as well as 35 employees of Specialized Police Forces Directorate to Chief Directorate Forces Protection Police – Ministry of Interior led by Commissar Mihail Zlatanov  participate in the exercise which is conducted in the period 7-18 May 2012.  In the course of the exercise, the following equipment is employed: 30 units of automobile equipment, of which 20 ATV Desert Cat automobiles with reinforced passability and enhanced level of ballistic protection and one water cannon.

In the next six days, the preparation of the servicemen from the Military Police will continue  after which its combat readiness will be evaluated in compliance with NATO standards – NATO Combat Readiness Evaluation (CREVAL).  The NATO observer is Lieutenant Colonel Sebastien Dordhain .

The US Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. James Warlick, the Deputy Ministers of Defence Avgustina Tzvetkova and Valentin Radev, the Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov, Chief Commissar Kalin Georgiev, the Commander of the Joint Forces Command  Lieutenant General Atanas Samandov,  the Commander of the Land Forces Major General Stefan Vassilev, , the Commander of Air Force Major General Konstantin Popov, the Director of Service Military Police Brigadier General Dancho Dyakov, Commodore Georgi Fidanov  President’s advisor, and representatives of the local executive authority were also present at the Distinguished Visitors Day of the Bulgarian-American exercise “Beyond the Horizon 2012”.

Later today, Minister Anguelov will pay a visit to the Center for training and preparation of tank units as well as to the Base for repairs and overhaul of armaments and equipment in the town of Sliven, and will meet with servicemen. In the course of his visit to the region, the Minister will have talks with the District Governor Marin Kavrakov, and with the Mayor of Sliven M., Kolyo Milev.

Today, 10 May 2012, the Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov hosted and had talks with his Macedonian colleague Fatmir Besimi.

The regional cooperation in the sphere of security and the interaction of the two countries within the framework of the regional initiatives Southeastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) and the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) were discussed at the working meeting in the Ministry of Defence. Minister Anguelov made his colleague familiar with Bulgaria’s suggestion on the permanent location of the multinational South Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) Headquarters in our country as an important step towards improving its operational capabilities with a view to conducting activities under crises and participation in missions and operations, Bulgaria’s initiative to establish Center of excellence for scientific research, building and developing NATO crisis management capabilities and assistance in cases of natural and industrial disasters, as well as the project “Female leadership in defence and security”suggested by the Bulgarian side.

The two Deputy Ministers of Defence attended the meeting during which the Assistant Director of Defence Policy Directorate, Colonel Radostin Iliev, and the Head of International Cooperation Department, Mr. Bekim Maksuti, signed the Plan for bilateral cooperation between the Ministries of Defence of the two countries for 2012. Exchange of experience between experts, training and education as well as opportunities for joint training are the basic spheres envisioned in the document.  

At the meeting, the Bulgarian side pointed out that the Republic of Bulgaria as an EU and NATO member country welcomes Macedonia’s aspirations towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration. “We consistently support NATO open door policy for the Balkans and we hope that a decision on Macedonia’s accession to NATO will be made very soon,” Minister Anguelov said emphasizing the fact that Bulgarian and Macedonian soldiers serve together in Afghanistan.

During the meeting, Minister Anguelov expressed his concern over the occasion when the Bulgarian ambassador to Macedonia was prevented from laying wreaths at Gotse Delchev’s grave in the city of Skopje. “Cases like this one can influence the positive public spirit and perceptions, the bilateral relations and the effectiveness of our support for the strategic goals of the Macedonian Government,” he said. Parallel to that, Minister Anguelov thanked Minister Fatmir Besimi for his assistance in conducting the ceremony dedicated to laying wreaths at the Bulgarian military cemeteries in Novo Selo, the Republic of Macedonia, on the occasion of 6 May – the day of courage and the holiday of the Bulgarian army. Bulgarian Members of Parliament and servicemen took part in the ceremony. The Bulgarian Defence Minister made an appeal to respect and value the Bulgarian military monuments in Macedonia, and suggested the two sides start working on signing a Bilateral Agreement on the military monuments. 

The Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to Bulgaria H.E. Blagoj  Handjiiski, the Deputy Minister of Defence Avgustina Tzvetkova, the Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces Command Rear Admiral Valentin Gagashev, the Chief of the Political Cabinet Yordan Bozhilov and the Deputy Director of Defence Policy Directorate Colonel Radostin Iliev participated in the meeting at the Ministry of Defence. The delegation of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Macedonia led by Minister Besimi is on a one-day working visit to our country. Members of the Macedonian delegation are: Major General Zoral Dimov - Advisor to the Chief of the General Staff of Macedonian Army, Bekim Maksuti-Head of International Cooperation Department, and experts of the Ministry.

Today, 9 May 2012, the flag of the European Union was raised at a formal ceremony under the sounds of Ode to Joy on the occasion of commemorating Europe Day and the 67th Anniversary of the End of the World War 2. The commemoration was organized by the Union of the War Veterans. 

The Deputy Chairman of the Union of Veterans Captain Marin Petkov (of the Reserve), the Permanent Undersecretary of Defence Nikolay Milkov, and the Director of Operations and Training Directorate Brigadier General Marin Nachev participated in the event.    

Representative formations of the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria, war veterans and servicemen of the reserve took part in the ceremony dedicated to laying wreaths at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier.

The Deputy Minister of Defence Valentin Radev and the Deputy Chief of Defence Rear Admiral Plamen Manushev participated today, 4 May 2012, in the the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Bulgarian contingent’s participation in the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Cambodia (UNTAC) which was held in the National Military Historical Museum.

“Twenty years later you are still an example of the courage and noble self-denial of the Bulgarian servicemen.  The memory of what you did in Cambodia reminds us of our most vital aspiration: to be better citizens and servicemen,” Deputy Minister Radev said in his address to the audience of the ex-Blue Helmets.  

After a prayer was uttered in memory of the servicemen who died while fulfilling their military duty during UNTAC operation, Deputy Minister Radev and Rear Admiral Manushev brought flowers to the monument of the mission. “The greatest honor to the heroic deeds you performed in the name of Bulgaria without having specialized training and experience,” the Deputy Chief of Defence said to the servicemen.

Bulgaria joined UNTAC on 4 May 1992, thus for the first time a Bulgarian contingent has participated in a UN peacekeeping mission.  The operation, in which we participated until 27 November 1933 with one infantry battalion of 850 servicemen, 10 officers working in the headquarters of the mission, 34 military observers and a military police team of 11 servicemen, succeeded in keeping the peace in the country after more than 20 years of civil war and genocide of the Cambodian people; it, provided conditions necessary to conduct parliamentary elections and prepared the establishment of state bodies. The mission was one of the most imposing ones conducted so far by the UN, and for its successful accomplishment more than 22 000 servicemen and civilian personnel  from 31 countries had joined and concentrated their efforts.

Thank you for representing the Bulgarian army with honor and dignity in NATO operation in Afghanistan,” those were the words that the Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov said to the servicemen of the Eleventh forces protection company of the internal zone of Kandahar Airport.  On 26 April, they returned to Bulgaria after their successful participation in the International Security Assistance Force operation in Afghanistan. The solemn ceremony dedicated to welcoming home and awarding the soldiers was conducted on 3 May 2012 in the town of Yambol.

Minister Anguelov emphasized the professionalism and high responsibility with which the servicemen of the Bulgarian contingent had fulfilled the tasks assigned to them in the mission.   He underlined that the ISAF Command had given very high assessment to the execution of the tasks by the Bulgarian contingent during the meetings with the President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces  Rossen Plevneliev in the course of his visit to Afghanistan .
Minister Anguelov wished the servicemen who had just returned home after their participation in ISAF mission to continue improving their combat preparation and to share the lessons they learned in Afghanistan with their colleagues. He pointed out that this year the number of the exercises of the military formations will be increased in order to improve their readiness both for participation in operations abroad and for fulfilling missions in support of the population.
In his address to the servicemen and citizens, Minister Anguelov underlined the importance of the garrison in the town of Yambol and announced that this this military unit will continue to develop and that its size will be increased. The Minister told the journalist that this year the size of the garrison in Yambol will be increased by 350 servicemen.

The Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov,  Brigadier General Vassil Dimitrov Chief of the Joint Forces Command,  Major General Stefan Vassilev Chief of the Land Forces,  Brigadier General Petar Petrov Commander of the 2nd light infantry brigade, Deputy District Governor of the town of Yambol Dimitar Ivanov and Georgi Slavov, the Mayor of the town, representatives of the local executive authorities, friends and relatives of the military personnel also participated in the official ceremony dedicated to welcoming of the servicemen.

At the ceremony, the servicemen of Eleventh Forces Protection Company of the internal zone of Kandahar Airport were awarded with commemorative signs of honor for the high results they achieved in fulfilling their professional duties in a complicated combat situation,  and in relation to the successful accomplishment of their participation in the International Security Assistance Force(ISAF) in Afghanistan.

On behalf of the supreme military command, the Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov said the following words of gratitude about the professional execution of the tasks by the servicemen: “You helped increase the authority and prestige of the Bulgarian army at the highest level, and earned high assessment on the part of ISAF leadership. We will put our faith in on your experience and we rely that you will share it with those of your colleagues who prepare themselves for participation in operations,” noted the General. 

After the end of the ceremony, answering journalists’ questions on the accident with MiG-29 aircraft on 26 April 2012, the Minister of Defence pointed out that from the moment when the critical situation arose the crew’s activities were exceptionally professional and correct. Thus they saved the people on the ground and the infrastructure preventing severe consequences, running the risk of being late to eject from the plane. Minister Anguelov said categorically: “I do not plan to impose administrative disciplinary punishment on the pilots,” however he specified that it is only the court of law that is empowered to pass a judgment on the committed error as to possible guilt or innocence on the part of the pilots.

Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov attends NATO Military Committee Chiefs of Defence meeting which takes place in Brussels on April 25 and 25, 2012. Admiral James Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and General Stéphane Abrial, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) took part in yesterday’s session.

The focus of the discussion during the first day of the two-day forum was NATO operation in Afghanistan stressing on the main tasks of the Alliance after year 2014. Sessions of NATO-Ukraine, NATO-Georgia Commissions and NATO-Russia Council were also held in Chiefs of Defence format.
The Military Committee session started with a meeting of Chiefs of Defence with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen where he presented the Alliance priorities for the NATO Summit in Chicago.

In view of the importance of the discussed issues, the session devoted to Afghanistan was attended by Chiefs of Defence of the non-NATO states contributing to ISAF. General John Alan, Commander of ISAF joined the session through video conference. During the discussion on the topic, emphasis was placed on the effectiveness of ISAF mentor teams and instructors’ activities as a result of which the capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have considerably developed. Indicative is the fact that 40% of all combat operations are conducted by ANSF and 50% of the Afghan population lives in territories, controlled by ANSF.

Chiefs of Defence expressed the consolidated view that the focus of ISAF actions will gradually change and after year 2014 Alliance Forces will be engaged in training and support of ANSF.

During the session of NATO-Ukraine Commission the contribution of Ukraine to NATO operations was presented. Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov congratulated his Ukrainian colleague on the declared contribution to the counter-piracy operations in the African horn region in 2013. General Simeonov pointed out that the Republic of Bulgaria highly estimates the development of military cooperation with Ukraine and announced Bulgarian intention to nominate a candidate for the position “NATO liaison officer in Kyiv”.

At the session of NATO-Georgia Commission, Georgia announced that they will significantly increase their contribution to ISAF.

The first day concluded with a session of NATO-Russia Commission focused on the discussion of the future challenges and practical solutions for the enhancement of military cooperation between NATO and Russia.

NATO Military Committee session continues today, 26 April 2012.

The Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov stated before journalists at the site of the incident with MiG-29 aircraft that the two pilots are in good state. Immediately after the incident, they were hospitalized at the Military Hospital in the town of Plovdiv. There is no danger for their lives. Major Doychinov and Captain Metodiev had traumas in the area of their vertebral columns that are typical in cases of catapulting.   

 Later today, the two pilots will be visited by the Minister of Defence.

Minister Anguelov declared that the reaction of the two pilots was very quick and adequate since they succeeded in directing the aircraft outside the perimeters of human settlements. There are no victims and no damages were suffered. “The profession of a serviceman is risky,” Minister Anguelov said, adding, “But the Bulgarian servicemen prove that in critical situations they act professionally and responsibly.”

A commission, in which representatives of the Air Force and Military Police participate, has already been established and is investigating the reasons that caused the incident.

Today, April 26, 2012, during the takeoff for the implementation of a flight task, a fire broke out on board of trainer combat MiG-29 aircraft. By instructions of the air traffic controller, the pilots flew the fighter in safe direction and successfully catapulted at 1.5 km east of Golyam Chardak village.

The crew of the fighter, Major Ilia Doychinov and Captain Petar Metodiev are in good health condition and are not hurt. No civilians in the area of the incident were affected. The area has been safeguarded. Medical emergency, Fire-fighting and Military Police teams were immediately sent to the place.

Minister of Defence Mr. Anu Anguelov has left for the area of the incident.

Investigations of the incident to determine the causes are under way.

All scheduled flights have been cancelled. The planned for tomorrow Distinguished Visitors Day of the joint Bulgarian-American Thracian Star 2012 air training exercise has also been called off.

The Chief of Defense General Simeon Simeonov took part in a session of the UE Military Committee at a level Chief of Defense, which was conducted on 24 April 2012 in Brussels. General Knud Barlels, Chairman of NATO Military Committee, Ms. Claude-France Arnould, Chief Executive of European Defense Agency, and Pierre Vimont, Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on behalf of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy participated in the session as well.

During the session, the progress, made in the implementation of pooling and sharing initiative in the context of EU's capabilities, was account ted for, and a survey of the current EU military operations as well as the crisis management procedures was carried out.

 In her address, Claude-France Arnould outlined the basic projects on which EDA works at present, emphasizing the importance of the project "Aerial refueling of aircraft". Bulgaria supported the declaration on the project. Within the framework of the session dedicated to capabilities development, information on the "Single European Sky" program was provided, stressing the necessity of enhanced participation of military experts in it.

The Commanders of EU's operations and missions presented topical information on the development of the operations and expressed their gratitude to the countries contributing forces and means. The Bulgarian contingent in Altea Operation is the third largest with regard to the number of servicemen participating in it.

The Chiefs of Defense approved the survey of the strategic priorities of the EU Military Committee, which constitute the base of the activities within the framework of the Common Security and Defense Policy. Major General Wolfgang Wosolsobe of Austria was elected to be the next Director General of the EU Military Staff.

Bulgarian and American service members who take part in the joint Thracian Star 2012 air exercise on the territory of our country will carry out repair works at the pre-surgery ward of the Child Surgery Clinic at “St.George” University Hospital in Plovdiv on April 21st and 22nd. During these two days, they will also clean up park areas of Graf Ignatievo village and will refurbish the soccer field. The charity project is financed by the American party.

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Rumen Nikolov attended NATO’s Annual Maritime Commanders Meeting (MARCOMET) which was held in the period April 15 – 18, 2012 in Rome, Italy. The Meeting was organized by NATO Allied Maritime Command Naples headed by Vice Admiral Rinaldo Veri, COM MC Naples and was hosted by Vice Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, Italian Commander-in-Chief Fleet and the Italian Navy.

The format of the Conference traditionally comprises delegations from NATO Mediterranean region, representatives of various Alliance Bodies, international organizations, Partnership for Peace states, NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), the Contact Countries. MARCOMET 2012 features the participation of Navies of 38 countries and 7 leading world organizations. The Forum was addressed by Admiral Bruce W. Clingan, Commander Joint Force Command Naples and the Honourable Giampaolo di Paola, Minister of Defence of the Italian Republic and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

Topics briefed and discussed at MACROMET 2012 included the various forms of maintaining, developing and growing partnerships with the Alliance and their increased importance both for the operations and the daily activities of the organization. The viewpoints of NATO HQ, the Military Staff of the European Union (EUMS) and commercial shipping organizations were presented. Specifically discussed maritime aspects involved projects on the improvement of Maritime Situational Awareness systems and their integration into a future unified Allied information service system. Accent was placed on the relationship between Alliance activities and the global community in the face of the modern digital era, the opportunities and challenges ensuing from the transition to the new Command Structure, counter-piracy activities and operations beyond national borders.

During the last day of the meeting, in a closed format panel, the delegations and NATO representatives discussed the vision of the new Alliance unified Maritime Command, the maritime aspect of NATO Forces 2020 concept and the presently developed new tool for NATO Forces assessment.

The Minister of Defense Anu Anguelov participated today, 18 April 2012, in the joint informal meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defense of NATO member countries, which was held in Brussels, Belgium. The main goal of the meeting is to complete the basic stage in the preparation of NATO Summit in Chicago.

The meeting started with a session of the North Atlantic Council in format Ministers of Defense at which the defense package for the Alliance's Chicago Summit as well as the progress of NATO missile defense were discussed.

The defense package for Chicago Summit delineates the goals to build the necessary capabilities of the Alliance until 2020 on the basis of the Smart Defense initiative and Connected Forces Initiative. The application of the package requires active commitment of the member countries for pooling and sharing and joint acquisition of military capabilities.

Minister Anu Anguelov noted the importance of the defense package as the basic document for the Chicago Summit. He emphasized the necessity in this respect for the declaration to find an adequate response to the new challenges, and in the following decade to envision building the necessary defense capabilities for fulfilling NATO's basic missions and tasks. Minister Anguelov welcomed the achieved success in the preparation of the declared NATO interim missile defense capability in Chicago.

In the afternoon, at their joint session the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Ministers of Defense of NATO member countries discussed the draft of NATO's Strategic plan on Afghanistan and the profile of NATO's mission after 2014.

The Bulgarian side noted that in the process of preparation of NATO Summit it is of exceptional importance to confirm the Alliance's further commitment to maintaining the security in Afghanistan. After 2014, the focus of NATO's efforts will be on assisting the activities related to the training and preparation of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The support for ANSF was put forward as a basic factor of the future strategic partnership, which requires application of concrete financial mechanisms with the broad participation of the international community and the Partners.

The Minister of Defense Anu Anguelov's participation continues with a working dinner of the Ministers of Defense of the EU member countries, at which the contents of the EU's message to NATO Summit meeting will be discussed.

“South-East European countries should enhance project cooperation within NATO’s Smart Defence and the EU Pooling and Sharing of capabilities initiatives,” said today, April 12th, Minister Anu Anguelov at the Defence Ministerial of South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Belgrade, Serbia.

"These initiatives provide us with great opportunities for regional cooperation," Minister Anguelov told his SEECP colleagues, stressing that Bulgaria is already working on "Female Leadership in Security and Defense" project and on the establishment of NATO Center of Excellence on Crisis Management and Disaster Relief (CM/DR CoE) in Bulgaria.

Minister Anguelov reiterated Bulgaria’s proposal to host permanent SEEBRIG HQ location on its territory as an important step towards the improvement of the Brigade’s capabilities for participation in Peacekeeping and Emergency and Disaster Relief operations. SEEBRIG is a worthy regional achievement and evidence of the political will of the countries in the region to cooperate in the area of defence; still, we have to turn it into an effective and usable instrument,” declared Minister Anguelov.

Further Minister Anguelov welcomed Serbia's initiative to focus on the issue of demolition and storage of excess supplies of small arms, light weapons and ammunitions and confirmed the willingness of Bulgaria to share her experience in this area.

Minister Anguelov accentuated on the importance of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) as a platform for discussion of concrete issues of regional significance and expressed the support of Bulgaria for the European and Euro-Atlantic perspective of the West Balkan countries.

The recognition of the continuing NATO and EU “open doors” policy as a way to achieve long-standing stability and prosperity in the region was set out in the Joint Statement adopted by the Ministers of Defence at their 5th meeting. The Joint Statement also points out the necessity to encourage multinational approaches to handling common challenges to defence as NATO’s Smart Defence and EU’s Pooling and Sharing initiatives. The Joint Statement further welcomes the launched "Female Leadership in Security and Defense" project of which Bulgaria is the Leading Nation.

As part of the SEECP Forum, Minister Anu Anguelov had bilateral talks with his counterparts from Serbia – Dragan Sutanovac, Turkey – Ismet Yilmaz, and Montenegro – Milica Pejanovic-Durisic where further opportunities for the promotion of bilateral cooperation in the area of security and defence were discussed.

The International Scientific Conference devoted to “Aviation in Current Geopolitics and Strategy of EU, NATO, Coalitions and States” was opened today, April 11, 2012 in the Central Military Club, Sofia.
The Forum was opened by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria Mr. Rosen Plevneliev. The event is organized by the Air Force of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Air Force Foundation.

On behalf of the Minister of Defence Mr. Anu Anguelov, Deputy Minister of Defence Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova congratulated the organizers of the Conference on the undertaken public commitment to place emphasis on topical issues reflecting the dynamic geopolitical processes, the architecture and the priorities of the security system.

In her address, Deputy Minister Tzvetkova focused on the characteristics of the contemporary security environment and the ensuing from them challenges before defence policy. “Our country has to augment her defence capabilities to be adequate to the contemporary risks and threats,” further elaborated Mrs. Tzvetkova.

Regarding the role of aviation in national defence and the collective security system, Deputy Minister Tzvetkova pointed out that in the contemporary geopolitical security and defence environment the specifics of aviation along with the advantages of its employment for crises and conflict management have made it an important tool for the achievement of political and military goals as the development of aviation measures the development of the scientific and technological progress of the community. “The Air Force guarantees the air sovereignty of the Republic of Bulgaria through surveillance, safeguarding and protection of our air space. They also perform tasks within NATO’s collective defence system,” stated Deputy Minister Tzvetkova and added that with the development of societies and technology the historical role of military aviation progressively increases.

The Conference was attended by General Simeon Simeonov, Chief of Defence, Major General Konstantin Popov, Commander Air Force, Mr. Diyan Dinev, Director General of Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA) and Mr. Mincho Tzvetkov, Director General of Civil Aviation Administration Directorate General.

The Forum was joined by representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, Air Force Command, “Bulgarian Air Force” Foundation, “G.S.Rakovski” National Military Academy, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Plovdiv branch of the Technical University, the Bulgarian Airlines Association (BAA), the Defence Institute etc. Foreign organizations to be represented at the event will involve Eurocontrol, the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the International Investment Fund. The event will be focused on the definition and discussion of the governing recommendations related to air space management, airports and the use of aviation and high technology achievements as instruments for the geopolitics and strategies of EU, NATO, Coalitions and States.

The International Scientific Conference is held in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the first combat sortie performed by Bulgarian aviators on 16 October 1912.

October 16, 1912 marks the baptism by fire of Bulgarian aviation in Edirne skies during the Balkan War. The date is remarkable not only for the Bulgarian but also for the world aviation and aeronautics. Two Bulgarian pilots, flight lieutenants Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev performed the first combat sortie in Europe to be entered in aviation history as the first European combat employment of aircraft.

Graf Ignatievo Air Base will host the joint Bulgarian-American flight training “Thracian Star 2012 which will take place in the period 17 April - 11 May 2012. Crews from US Air Force in Europe with F-16 aircraft and crews of the Bulgarian Air Force with MiG-21, MiG-29 and SU-25 aircraft as well as units of the anti-aircraft troops of the Bulgarian Air Force will participate in the joint training. 

The training will include air combats with fighter aircraft, tactical interceptions, and combat maneuvers aimed at overcoming the air defence.  The pilots will also conduct flights of joint Bulgarian-American crews aimed at enhancing the skills in applying the procedures employed by the fighter aircraft aviation of the two countries.

A Distinguished Visitors and Media Day will be conducted on 27 April 2012. The accreditation of the journalist teams will be carried out at the Air Force Command on telephones:  02 92 24 014, 02 92 24 029 and at the e-mail: pr_vvs@abv.bg.

The accreditation of foreign journalists will be carried out until 20 April 2012 at e-mail: pr_vvs@abv.bg.

In order to accredit the journalists who would like to attend the joint Bulgarian-American flight training “Thracian Star 2012”, the following information will be necessary: first name, middle name, family name, number of the personal Identity Card/Passport, Unified Citizen’s Number,  number of the journalist card, the position the journalist holds at the respective media, telephone and active e-mail address. 

Transport will be provided for the journalists from Sofia to Graf Ignatievo Air Base and back on the Distinguished Visitors and Media day.

Deputy Minister of Defence Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova had a working meeting with Brigadier General Michael Bills, Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Europe.

During the talks Deputy Minister Tzvetkova thanked for the opportunity presented to Bulgarian service members and active duty units to train in the U.S. Force Training Centers Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr, Germany and for the assistance provided in the course of the First Battalion Battle Group establishment.

On his part, Brigadier General Michael Bills pointed out that he was extremely impressed by the high level of preparedness of the Bulgarian military. He visited Military Unit 34 750 – Karlovo where the First Battalion Battle Group is trained. Brigadier Bills attended some of the activities devoted to Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) countering and detection – a task set in the Plan for Joint Bulgarian-American training and exercises for 2012.

Further issues concerning the employment of the joint Bulgarian-American facilities and future training and exercises were discussed in the course of the talks.

The Bulgarian party was represented by Vice Admiral Plamen Manushev, Deputy Chief of Defence, Co-Chair of the Joint Commission on the Implementation of the Defence Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the United States of America, Brigadier General Neyko Nenov, Army Deputy Commander and Colonel Yavor Mateev, Head of Joint Facilities Department. The American party was represented by Susan Sutton, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the USA to Sofia and Commander Mark Imblum, Chief of the Office of Defence Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia.

Earlier that day Brigadier General Michael Bills met Major General Stefan Vasilev, Army Commander. They discussed the activities involved in the preparation of the First Battalion Battle Group and roadmapped the forthcoming tasks to be performed in view of the certification in October and November 2012.

The main planning conference for Breeze 2012 national naval exercise with international participation was held in the Garrison Military Club – Burgas. In the course of two days Navy commanding officers and officers from Naval base – Burgas, representatives of the Hellenic, Turkish, Italian and USA Navies and of the Standing NATO Group 2 ships discussed issues connected with the organization and the operation plan of the exercise, the participating forces and equipment of Bulgarian and foreign Navies.

Breeze-2012 national naval exercise with foreign contribution will be held in the second half of June 2012.

Today, 4 April 2012, the Guardsmen Representative Brass Orchestra and Army Song Quartet gave a concert on the occasion of NATO Day. The Guardsmen also put on parts of the ceremonial performance entitled "Sparks".

Тhe Minister of Defense Anu Anguelov, Deputy Ministers of Defense Avgustina Tzvetkova and Valentin Radev as well as numerous citizens, natives and gusts visiting Sofia, attended the festive event.

The Ministry of Defence has the highest Active Transparency Rating among all Executive Authorities’ central institutions and takes the second place in the transparency audit of administrative structures of executive bodies at central, regional and local level. The data were announced today, April 4, 2012 by representatives of the Access to Information Programme (AIP) who presented the results of the Active Transparency Rating 2012 and the Portal Public Registers in Bulgaria audit.

The Active Transparency Rating assesses the websites of the administrative structures of the executive power in Bulgaria from the point of view of the obligations for online publication of information under the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) and other legislation. The 2012 Audit on Institutional Web Sites aimed to assess the following criteria: the level of implementation of the obligations for online publication of information; the number of institutions which have access to Information sections on their web sites and their content; how the institutions respond to electronically filed access to information requests.

The Main Planning Conference for the 2012 South Eastern Europe Simulation (SEESIM) Exercise started today, April 3, in Boyana Residence.  The exercise will be conducted in October 2012 in Bulgaria.  

The computer assisted South Eastern Europe Simulation Exercise series (SEESIM Exercise series) is a part of the initiative of the Ministers of Defence of the countries in Southeastern Europe (SEDM Initiative). Each Exercise has a two-year planning cycle and is organized by the Host Country and the United States.  Representatives of the SEDM Initiative member courtiers, of Sweden and of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) as well as of the observer countries Georgia and Moldova will participate in the exercises.

Five exercise of this type have been conducted so far, and Bulgaria was a host country in 2008 and will host the exercise in October this year.

More than 100 Bulgarian and foreign military and civilian defense and crisis management experts participate in the planning forum which was opened by the Deputy Minister of Defence Avgustina Tzvetkova.

“The national security of every country in the region depends on the common European and regional security. The aim of our efforts in the field of regional policy is to establish lasting peace and stability in Southeastern Europe and maintain European standards in the relations among the countries of the region,” the Deputy Minister of Defence Avgustina Tzvetkova said in her welcoming speech.  " Close cooperation in the crisis management domain requires  the formation of appropriate capabilities for intelligence and information  sharing, for early warning and situational awareness as well as for conducting crisis management planning" she pointed out, adding that the SEESIM Exercise series, in the course of which civilian and military experts are jointly trained, helps build trust and confidence. 

 

Representatives of NATO organizations: Allied Command Transformation (ACT), of the Joint Warfare Center (JWC) in Stavanger, Norway, the Joint Force Training Center (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and of the NATO Center of Excellence for Modeling and Simulation (COE M & S) in Rome, Italy, will participate in SEEISIM exercises. 

 NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) will test NATO software for the first time in a crisis management exercise.  Computer tools and models for planning and conducting similar exercises will be also tested in SEESIM 12.  Possibilities of using training simulation systems and new information technologies to increase the efficiency in the preparation of civil and military structures in the region with a view to eliminating the consequences of crises and providing assistance in cases of disasters will be experimented upon and tested in the course of the exercise.

Bulgaria’s initiative to build a regional network for training and exercises in the region will also be tested during SEESIM 12.

Brigadier General Marin Nachev, Director of the Operations and Training Directorate in the MoD, leads the Bulgarian SEESIM 12 Team.  Representatives of the US European Command (US EUCOM) from the US side and of the Joint Warfare Center will be a part of the leadership of the exercise.

“The aim of Smart Defence is to “add value” to national defence; thus it will have to meet high political criteria and to pursue projects concluded with maximum responsibility and sense of duty to the nation. In this vein, the pooling of efforts of individual NATO allied states for the acquisition of certain capabilities is a manifest of close political cooperation and an act of trust,” said Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov today, April 2nd, at the International Conference devoted to “Smart Defence – Pooling and Sharing: East-European View on Multinational and Innovative Approaches to Capabilities Development”. He emphasized that such new approaches will lead to the introduction of new coalition culture among countries which in turn will improve the institutional and political capacity of the Alliance itself; thus we will definitely depart from the financial crisis stronger as an Alliance, more agile as capabilities, wiser as ability to make hard and fast decisions.”

Minister Anguelov pointed out that presently we still face obstacles to the implementation of Smart Defence projects. He remarked that hard decision making on common provision of necessary for the operational costs and maintenance of the Alliance Ground Surveillance system (AGS) funds has meant a couple of wasted years for NATO. “The two main reasons for this to happen are the assertion of national economic interests by some member states which has led to finding a compromise through the so called contribution-in-kind to common burden sharing, and the attempts at pooling of costs and application of this principle post factum to already existing projects,” elaborated Minister Anguelov and added that following the above mentioned two reasons a third one emerges – the hard to achieve necessary level of political trust among the Allies.

“It is also possible these reasons to be articulated in other projects,” said Minister Anguelov and proposed the example of joint acquisition of new type of multirole fighter by several countries. “In this case, one of the parties wants to acquire a new fighter but doesn’t have the resource. Another party cancels the project due to lack of funds while a third party may prefer “second hand” equipment to make such acquisition affordable.”

Minister Anguelov also pointed out the main obstacle to the development of the EU Pooling & Sharing initiative: the lack of common defence fund within the European Structural and Cohesion funds. “In the course of the next period planning process, it is vital to promptly bring to the attention of the EU leadership bodies this poignant pending issue bearing in mind that the focus of the new U.S. National Security Strategy has been shifted from Europe to Asia.”

Minister Anguelov further underlined the role of the businesses in the implementation of Smart Defence projects. He stated that the joint acquisition of capabilities will contribute to building integrity in procurement procedures. “They will be overseen by several nations, will be performed on a prominent stage, figuratively speaking, and the control over them will be more comprehensive and exhaustive. Thus the business will feel assured that its interests are protected and the competition is genuine.”

The first day of the Conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Defence Dr. Valentin Radev who emphasized that collective approaches and actions, pooling of capabilities and sharing of costs have no alternative.

The Republic of Bulgaria has already declared interest in six projects included in Smart Defence highest priority projects, said Deputy Minister Radev and pointed out the considerable potential of the regional dimension in multinational approaches to capabilities development.” Sustaining cooperation and mutual trust among the states in South-Eastern Europe is a good premise for further advance along Smart Defence line,” stated Mr. Radev and reminded of the already concluded Agreements on Air Policing within the Integrated NATO Air Defence System with Greece and Romania.

In conclusion, Deputy Minister Radev underlined that Bulgaria strongly supports the EU Pooling and Sharing of defence capabilities initiative and stated as already identified areas of interest the EU Battle Groups, military education and training.

The work of the International Conference “Smart Defence – Pooling and Sharing: East-European View on Multinational and Innovative Approaches to Capabilities Development” continues tomorrow.

Today, April 2nd, Deputy Minister of Defence Dr. Valentin Radev met Mr. Georges D’hollander, General Manager of NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A).

Mr. D’hollander is visiting Bulgaria on the occasion of the high-level international conference devoted to “Smart Defence – Pooling and Sharing: East-European View on Multinational and Innovative Approaches to Capabilities Development.”

During the meeting which was held in the Ministry of Defence, the parties discussed issues of mutual interest, the status of NATO Agencies’ consolidation process and the ensuing from it possible amendments to current contracts between the Agency and the Ministry of Defence.

Both parties reiterated the excellent highest-level communication between NC3A and the Ministry of Defence particularly enhanced after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in February 2010 and their support for the presently existing between NC3A and the Ministry of Defence projects and their development in accordance with the qualifying agreements.

Georges D’hollander shared his profound impressions of today’s conference panels and of the participation of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Defence Leadership in the discussions devoted to the most topical issues on NATO and EU agenda – the Smart Defence NATO initiative and the EU-contributed Pooling and Sharing concept.

“This year 61 Stryama Mechanized Brigade will considerably increase the number of its personnel. The Brigade performs very important tasks – the First Battalion Battle Group is being established here,” said today, March 27th in Karlovo the Minister of Defence Mr. Anu Anguelov during the official send-off ceremony marking the departure of the Bulgarian Army 12 Company for deployment within International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan. He congratulated the military on their good preparedness and called for strict adherence to security regulations, respect for religious rites and promotion of good relationships with the population of Afghanistan.

Later, for the press, Minister Anguelov remarked that the preparation of the First Battalion Battle Group which recently returned from joint rotation training with military from other countries in Hohenfels Joint Multinational Training Center, Germany, is excellent. “In the course of training, the personnel have acquired skills and abilities to perform their tasks pertaining to the First Battalion Battle Group: national defence, participation in missions and assistance to the population in cases of crises and disasters,” further pointed out Minister Anguelov.

Minister of Defence specified that the number of 61 Stryama Mechanized Brigade military personnel will be increased by about 900 servicemen. It will be augmented with personnel from other military units undergoing restructuring of the Bulgarian Armed Forces.

The official send-off ceremony was held in Karlovo for the contingent of 300 military to safeguard the Kandahar Airport inner ring. 12th coy Operational Readiness Certificate for ISAF mission participation was presented by Vice Admiral Plamen Manushev, Deputy Chief of Defence. He commended the military for the excellent results achieved in the course of preparation and emphasized that the Bulgarian military participation in missions has always received high recognition.

The contingent was further addressed by Major General Stefan Vasilev, Commander of the Land Forces and Brigadier General Krasimir Kanev, Commander of 61 Stryama mechanized Brigade.

Colonel Georgi Gatev, Assistant National Commander, thanked for the support during the preparation process and assured the attendees of the Company’s preparedness to professionally implement their due tasks with honour and dignity befitting 61 Stryama Mechanized Brigade servicemen. The mayor of Karlovo presented the soldiers an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary to protect them.

The ceremony was attended by Rear Admiral Valentin Gagashev, Deputy Commander of the Joint Force Command, Mr. Zdravko Dimitrov, District Governor of Plovdiv, Dr. Emil Kabaivanov, mayor of Karlovo Municipality, Mr. Veselin Lichev, mayor of Sopot municipality, Mr. Rumen Stoyanov, mayor of Kalofer, representatives of military patriotic unions and guests.

Later the same day Minister Anguelov had a meeting with 61 Stryama Mechanized Brigade servicemen during which Brigade training and First Battalion Battle Group build-up issues were discussed.

Minister of Defence met Dr. Emil Kabaivanov, mayor of Karlovo, to discuss topical issues concerning the forthcoming increase of the Brigade personnel as accommodation, kindergartens and jobs.

Commander EUFOR Major General Robert Brieger expressed his personal gratitude to Deputy Chief of Staff for Support Colonel Vladimir Lalov of the Bulgarian Armed Forces for the timely and precise actions preventing fire in the area of Camp Butmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On March 14, 2012 during routine patrolling of Butmir Base (Bosnia and Herzegovina) area, corporal Daniel Georgiev and private Hasan Bayraktarov of the Bulgarian Force Protection company participating in Operation Althea prevented a fire in the proximity of working premises used by the Bulgarian contingent. The military noticed sparks from the electric system and immediately informed the officer on duty about the incident. As a result of their prompt reaction, the initiation of fire with unpredictable consequences was prevented.

Today, March 21, 2012 Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov received H.E. Jonathan Allen, recently appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Bulgaria.

“Bulgarian defence policy focuses on three main aspects – effective reforms, enhanced combat preparation and active contribution to international operations,” elaborated Minister Anguelov during the meeting. He acquainted Ambassador Allen with the Bulgarian Armed Forces units’ transformation process in view of the implementation of the Plan for the Development of the Armed Forces and the White Paper on Defence and the Armed Forces. They discussed the status and further perspectives of the cooperation between the two countries and the development of NATO and EU operations in which both states participate.

Minsiter Anguelov poited out that Bulgaria is the Leading Nation of the long-term NATO Female Leadership in Security and Defence project and stressed on the fact that the Ministry collaborates with the UK-based NGO Transparency International for the implementation of NATO’s Building Integrity in Defence Initiative.

The meeting was attended by Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova, Deputy Minister of Defnce, Mr. Yordan Bozhilov, Chief of the Political Cabinet of the Minister of Defence, Mr. Nickolay Milkov, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Colonel Andrew Shepherd, UK defence attaché accredited to the Republic of Bulgaria.

Today, March 19, 2012, the second session of the National Initiative Committee to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Balkan Wars (1912 – 1913) was held in the Ministry of Defence. The Anniversary is marked under the patronage of Mr. Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria.

During the session presided by Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova, Deputy Minister of Defence and Deputy Chair of the Committee, a Draft National Plan for the celebration of the Anniversary and new proposals to be included in it were discussed. Further the Plan will be coordinated and submitted for approval by the Council of Ministers.

The session was attended by members of the Committee – representatives of state institutions, regional governments and municipalities, academia, military patriotic organizations and the media.

Minister of Defence Anu Anguelov sent a telegram of condolences to his Turkish colleague Mr. Ismet Yilmaz on the occasion of the demise of Turkish Armed Forces service members during the incident in Afghanistan yesterday, March 16th. A Turkish military helicopter crashed on the outskirts of Kabul. Twelve military of the Turkish Armed Forces on board and local residents on ground were killed.

“We grieve with the military of the Turkish Armed Forces for this heavy loss. Our thoughts and sympathy are with the bereaved families of the deceased who sacrificed their lives in the name of peace and stability in Afghanistan,” says the telegram of condolences.

"I am proud to be with you, the heroes of the days of severe natural disasters when you gave a hand to our fellow-countrymen. You performed with honour your civic and professional duty," said today, March 16th, Dr. Valentin Radev, Deputy Minister of Defence in his address to the military who provided assistance to the population of various settlements affected by floods and heavy snowfall in the first months of the year.

The decoration of service members from military units 24 150, 44 200, 48 430 – Stara Zagora, 22 220 – Sliven, 22 180 – Kazanlak and 44 220 – Plovdiv was held in the town of Stara Zagora and was attended by General Simeon Simeonov, Chief of Defence, Brigadier General Neyko Nenov, Deputy Commander Land Forces and Brigadier General Petar Petrov, Commander of Second Light Infantry Brigade.

Deputy Minister Radev awarded the service members distinguished by Order of Mr. Anu Anguelov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria, for their remarkable professionalism and selflessness in the flood disaster relief efforts in the villages of Biser and Stoykovo, Haskovo District and other settlements affected by the floods in February 6, 2012.

"Meritorious Service" medals first grade officer class were awarded to Colonel Mitko Mitev, Deputy Commander of military unit 24 150 – Stara Zagora and MajorVeselin Vasilev, ad-interim Commander of military unit 48 430 – Stara Zagora. "Meritorious Service" medals second grade officers class were awarded to Captain Daniel Dimov, Deputy Commander of 1st Infantry Company and Captain Plamen Sabev, Deputy Chief of Staff of unit 48 430 – Stara Zagora. "Meritorious Service" medals first grade sergeant class were awarded to Master Sergeant Dimitar Georgiev, senior mechanic and traffic controller from military unit 48 430 – Stara Zagora. "Meritorious Service" medals second grade sergeant class were awarded to Senior Sergeant Ivan Ivanov, Sergeant Plamen Mitev and Junior Sergeant Kolyo Kolev from military unit 48 430 – Stara Zagora. "Military Valor" medals third grade were awarded to privates second class Vasil Vasilev, Ivan Stoyanov, Stefan Georgiev and Kostadin Nedelchev.

"The Bulgarian Armed Forces performed their duty of great merit and proved that they serve the people and the people can rely on them," said Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov. He granted recognition awards and certificates to 73 service members from Stara Zagora, Sliven, Kazanlak and Plovdiv military units.

By Order of Land Forces Commander, Deputy Commander Land Forces Brigadier General Neyko Nenov awarded military personnel who had performed assistance tasks.

The ceremony in Stara Zagora was attended by Mr. Dimitar Drachev, Deputy District Governor, Mr. Zhivko Todorov, Mayor of Stara Zagora municipality, Mr. Emil Hristov, Chairman of the City Council and many guests.

Today, March 16, Deputy Minister of Defense Avgustina Tzvetkova attended the Distinguished Visitors Day of the Joint Pre-Deployment Training Rotation at the U.S. Forces Training Area at Hohenfels, Germany. 

The joint training involved the participation of formations from eight countries: Bulgaria, Albania, Jordan, Romania, the U.S.A., Slovenia, Serbia, and the Czech Republic. The Bulgarian military formations were of the total strength of 418 troops and were comprised of headquarters of mechanized battalion, three mechanized companies, formation of the Special Operation Forces, two AS-532 AL Cougar transport helicopters with four crews and engineering and technical personnel, and a Military Police platoon. 

The tasks performed during the DV Day were tasks typical of mission participation, and included, inter alia, live firings, acquisition of tactics, techniques and procedures for the enforcement of security in a given region; specialized training; Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED); road and route reconnaissance; zone securing; establishing and attending temporary checkpoints; escorting vehicles, and cargoes and guarding distinguished persons; tactical air-drop; and medical evacuation of injured persons. The performance of the Bulgarian personnel in the exercise was given very high praise.

Earlier, Deputy Minister Tzvetkova visited the Joint Multinational Training Center in Grafenwoehr, where she was introduced to the methods and stages of military personnel training. Among the issues discussed were possible options for mobile teams and equipment to be used in trainings conducted at the shared facilities in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Today, March 14th, Deputy Minister of Defense Avgustina Tzvetkova met with Lieutenant General John D. Gardner, Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command, and with Ambassador Lawrence E. Butler, Civilian Deputy to the Commander and Foreign Policy Advisor.

"On behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Defense I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity provided to Bulgarian military personnel from the Land Forces, the Air Force, and the Military Police to train at the U.S. Forces Training Area at Hohenfels, Germany," Deputy Minister of Defense Avgustina Tzvetkova said, and noted that the meeting would contribute to the enhancement of the strategic cooperation.

"Allow me to highlight that the joint experience gained so far in the course of the activities carried out at the Novo Selo Field Training Area forms a good basis for the enlargement of the scope of future trainings and participants therein. Involving countries from the region in the trainings and exercises may turn out to be a significant contribution on the part of the U.S. and Bulgaria to NATO's Smart Defense initiative," Deputy Minister Tzvetkova pointed out. She added that the facilities can be used for pre-deployment training of contingents which would participate in international operations, for training of military formations from countries in the region, as well as for training of personnel participating in the MPFSEE.

Deputy Minister Tzvetkova introduced LTG John Gardner and Amb. Lawrence Butler to the decision made by the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria to allocate funds for the construction of distribution water mains to supply water to six locations in the districts of Sliven and Burgas, as well as to the shared Bulgarian-U.S. facility near Novo Selo.

Among the issues covered by the talks were also issues relating to the use and development of Bulgarian-U.S. shared facilities, as well as to the scope for development of joint training initiatives at home and abroad. Security initiatives in the region and within NATO were also discussed.

Other participants in the meeting were Vice Admiral Plamen Manushev, Deputy Chief of Defense and Co-Chair of the Joint Commission on the Implementation of the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the U.S.A., representing the Bulgarian side, and Major General Mark O. Schissler, Director, Plans and Policy, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Co-Chair of the Joint Commission, representing the U.S.

The Standing Council on Anti-Corruption at the Ministry of Defence, chaired by Mrs. Avgustina Tzvetkova, adopted today, February 27, a Report on the anti-corruption policy in 2011 and an Action Plan for 2012.

The specific anti-corruption activities planned for the last year have been fulfilled, with the emphasis falling on the Corruption Risk Assessment Methodology elaborated, as well as on the checks conducted by the MoD Inspectorate on the basis of the Methodology and on the annual risk assessment given by the MoD Internal Audit Directorate. The legal framework of laws and regulations on anti-corruption has been improved. Regulatory, administrative, control and administrative penalty mechanisms for preventing and countering corruption have been enforced, encompassing measures such as Risk Management Model Regarding Defence and Armed Forces Planning; Integrity Pact to be signed between the Ministry of Defence and participants in public procurement award procedures and procedures for renting out or selling real estates in the administration of the Ministry of Defence; establishment of rules of conduct by means of an Ethical Code of Conduct for the military and civilian personnel of the MoD, the structures subordinated to the Minister of the Defence, and the Bulgarian Army; MoD corruption risk self-assessment under NATO's Building Integrity initiative; and an action plan on implementation of the recommendations.

Some of the anticorruption measures implemented in 2011 are of permanent nature, which means that they retain their validity and will be implemented this year as well. The Action Plan for 2012, as adopted by the Council on Anti-Corruption, mainly comprises measures relating to: improvement and enforcement of the already developed legal framework, organization of regular training courses for the experts participating in project and contract management; continuous and timely updating of databases – found on the websites of the MoD and on those of the legal entities subordinated to it – and maintaining the Anti-Corruption section on the MoD website; reaching uniformity and transparency in the application of the selection procedure regarding appointment of administration staff, as well as establishing responsibility and liability for non-compliance thereof; optimization of assessment and professional development procedures and of internal selection procedures, as well as turning appraisal mechanisms into a working instrument; introduction of modern information technologies; and maintaining active dialogue with the media and the non-governmental organizations.

The Action Plan for 2012, aiming at non-admission of conditions facilitating corruption at any level of formulation and implementation of defence policy, has been published on the MoD's website under the Anti-Corruption section.

The National Assembly adopted today, 23 February 2012, the Law on the Reserve of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria at the second reading. In the Plenary Hall, Minister Anu Anguelov thanked the members of Parliament and declared that the Law meets the requirements of the Constitution, and updates the legal base.

The goal of the Law on the Reserve of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria is to regulate the public relations associated with the leadership, size, preparation, employment, accountability and service in the reserve of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria as well as the preparation of the Bulgarian citizens to protect their fatherland.

At a later stage, Minister Anguelov explained to journalists that the reservists fill up the peacetime size of the Armed Forces, and until 2014 their number has to be 3 500. The voluntary military reserve will be formed on a voluntary basis with reservists and equipment from the peacetime reserve of the armed forces.  Minister Anguelov stated that the reservists will serve in compliance with a tripartite contract: between the employer, the employee and the Ministry of Defence; this contract will be valid for up to five years and can be extended if necessity thereof arises. Each reservist is registered in appropriate military records; he can be summoned to active military service in peacetime, and will receive remuneration for the period of time he has served.    

Minister Anu Anguelov clarified the status of the persons of the reserve who like the reservists will also be registered in records but only in wartime. This reserve force will be manned by persons of the reserve and refurbished with equipment from the reserve of the forces in the national security system. These activities will be carried out on a mandatory principle. Minister Angelov made it clear that there is another difference between the persons of the reserve and the reservists, it is the maximum age limit of the service: for persons of the reserve it is sixty years of age, and for officer reservists it is sixty-three years.  

The tactical formations will be filled up by personnel and provided for with equipment in compliance with unified job descriptions unlike the existing practice so far according to which the above was done under different peacetime and wartime establishments. In order to achieve maximal efficiency in the reserve management, Central Military Command was established - it is a military formation directly subordinated to the Minister of Defense having subordinated territorial structures, which are bodies responsible for conducting the registration of the reserve personnel in the appropriate records.  

The Law stipulates for the students in 9th and 10th grades to attend a course of preparation aimed at mastering knowledge related to their obligations on protecting their country; activities teaching them how to survive in crises of a military nature; as well as knowledge on the mission and tasks of the armed forces. The preparation is to be conducted within the framework of five academic hours in 9th grade, and five academic hours in 10th grade which will be held in the hours of the class provided for in the school curriculum. The Law provides also an opportunity to launch courses on initial and specialized military training and preparation for the students of the civilian schools of higher education, defense staff colleges and military schools of higher education. The citizens wiling to acquire military preparation who meet certain requirements will have the right to attend a course in specialized educational centers.  
The Ministry of Defense works on the project of Rules for the application of the Law on the Reserve of the armed forces, with a schedule according to which the application of the Law has to begin directly after it becomes effective.

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The project of the Law on the reserve of the armed forces of the Republic of Bulgaria was approved by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria on 30 November 2011, by the Foreign Policy and Defence Committee on 19 January 2012, and by the National Assembly at the first reading on 26 January 2012. 

It is consistent with National Security Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria adopted by the national Assembly, with the White Paper on defence and the armed forces, and with the Plan for the development of the armed forces of the Republic of Bulgaria.

 

“The results we achieved give us grounds to state that 2011 was a successful year. The plans and the guidance are fulfilled. We achieved progress in increasing the fighting efficiency of the headquarters and the formations in accordance with the requirements,” the Chief of Defence, General Simeon Simeonov pointed out today, 16 February 2012, in his briefing at the Ministry of Defence.

General Simeonov analyzed the fulfillment of the three missions of the Bulgarian army in 2011. With respect to the training and preparation conducted in the Bulgarian army, he pointed out that notwithstanding the financial restrictions, in 2011 growth of 3% compared to 2010 in the exercises conducted with headquarters and formations of the Bulgarian army can be observed.
General Simeonov emphasized the fact that the participation of the Bulgarian servicemen in NATO and EU missions works toward strengthening the national and international positions of the Republic of Bulgaria.  

“The Bulgarian army successfully and effectively fulfilled the tasks allocated to it on assisting the population in cases of disasters and exceptional situations,” General Simeonov said.  The Bulgarian army has 95 formations tasked to gain control and overcome the consequences of disasters of a different nature thus fulfilling tasks in missions contributing to the national security in peacetime. 

With respect to the order and discipline of troops in the Bulgarian army, general Simeonov pointed out that in 2011 there is a decrease in 2, 3% of the registered incidents compared to the ones in 2010. In the course of the year, there are three death cases at and on the occasion of fulfilling the service duties: two cases for reasons of health, and one suicide. As to the incidents, which occurred outside the perimeters of the formations, a considerable number of them arouse as a result of driving private cars after using alcohol – 43 cases. Twenty four of the servicemen responsible for these incidents were punished by dismissal from service; a dismissal procedure is under way for another sixteen of them, and penal procedures concerning three of these servicemen were suspended. 

 “I am proud that there are suggestions Bulgarian servicemen be awarded with high state distinctions of honor for their professionalism in the evacuation and rescue activities in the past month,” the Chief of Defence General Simeonov said adding that this is recognition for the activities of the whole army. “The army is an integral part of the Bulgarian people and it is always ready to help when necessity arises,” emphasized General Simeonov. 

In the period 2-15 February 2012, fifteen military formations of the Bulgarian army consisting of 413 servicemen, 153 pieces of equipment and 19 vehicles transporting containers of drinking water were involved in the activities on assisting the population in natural disasters.

“I thank the Bulgarian army for the successfully conducted missions in support of the population in natural disasters and industrial accidents. More than 100 missions were conducted last year, numerous human lives were saved, and assistance was provided for many settlements in the country,” the President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces stated before journalists after the extended session of the Defence Council which was held today, 13 February 2012, at the Ministry of Defence. The Head of State has emphasized that the work of the Bulgarian servicemen is highly appreciated by our partners, and that our country will continue to be a reliable and committed partner in defending the Euro-Atlantic security and values.

The President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces Rossen Plevneliev has expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Defence for its being the first institution that has developed a Long-tem strategy until 2020, a Plan for the development of the armed forces until 2014, and consistently implements these  substantial documents. He declared that “the Presidency and the Ministry of Defence will continue to work together in defining the priorities and fully implementing the reform of the armed forces.” The President pointed out that “the financial and economic crisis must not be transformed into a crisis of defence and security.”
At the session of the Defence Council, Minister Anu Anguelov introduced the political and military leadership of the Ministry of Defence to the President and informed him about the achieved results in the sphere of defence during the past two years as well as with the priorities for 2012. “While in 2010 we carried out a strategic rethinking as a result of which we have a clear vision on the development of the armed forces, 2011 was the year of re-directing the focus on the combat capabilities of the armed forces and on optimizing the administration of the Ministry and superior command structures,” Minister Anguelov declared. He pointed out that in the past two years the Ministry of Defence succeeded in decreasing its obligations, and re-settled and finalized key projects for the modernization of the armed forces, which is a success for the military institution. “2012 is the year in which we have to work  hard for upgrading the capabilities, for the implementation of the Plan for the development of the armed forces, and reorganization of the combat and servicing units.”      

Minister Anguelov pointed out that in order to successfully fulfill the planned priorities the good coordination of the positions and strategic visions of the Presidency and of the Ministry of Defence is of central importance.

At the extended session of the Defence Council, the following members of the defence leadership delivered reports: the Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov, Lieutenant General Atanas Samandov – Commander of the Joint Forces Command, the commanders of services Major General Stefan Vassilev, Major General Konstantin Popov, and Rear Admiral Rumen Nikolov.

In the period 2-9 February 2012, 25 module formations consisting of 293 servicemen and 105 pieces of equipment of the Bulgarian army assisted the population in gaining control and overcoming the consequences of the natural disasters. 

Yesterday, 9 February 2012, servicemen of the military units 24 150 and 54 140 from the town of Stara Zagora delivered water to the inhabitants of the villages of Gorno Botevo, Pshenichevo and Surnevo.

A module group of the unit 52 740-Haskovo delivered food and medicines to citizens in need of assistance in the town of Svilengrad, and participating in tugging out equipment that had been blocked by the snow in the village of Cherepovo, Municipality of Harmanli.

Servicemen of the military unit 34 420 –Kostinbrod participated in clearing the road infrastructure in the region of the town of Svoge.

A module group of the military unit 48 430 – Stara Zagora continues its participation in the operation related to the evacuation of the population in the town of Svilengrad.

The operations of the Alliance were discussed during the first day of the meeting, the basic emphasis being placed on NATO ISAF operation in Afghanistan. The Ministers discussed the progress made in the process of transition towards taking over the responsibility for Afghanistan by the security forces of the country, and completing the process by the end of 2014.

Minister Anu Anguelov informed the Allies about the “Strategy for the transformation of the participation of the armed forces of the Republic of Bulgaria in the operation of NATO led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan”, adopted by the Bulgarian Government at the end of 2011, a document which outlines the framework of the future transformation of the Bulgarian contingent.

Minister Anguelov pointed out that until 2014, a gradual decrease in the Bulgarian contingent is planned; in 2013 the forces protection company will be withdrawn from Kabul, and the rest of the contingent will preserve its participation in the operation until 2014. The Minister added that Bulgaria studies the possibility to participate, jointly with our NATO Allies, in the training and preparation of the Afghan security Forces after 2014.

The participants in the forum discussed the reforms taking place in the Alliance, directed towards greater effectiveness of the work as well as towards economy of resources. The Ministers confirmed the necessity to preserve the speed of implementing the decisions on the reform related to NATO’s agencies and the transition to the Alliance’s new command structure.

A special discussion on the progress of the Smart Defence Initiative took place at the meeting. A central topic in the discussion was the development of the projects related to building capabilities of NATO in long-term perspective. Baroness Catherine Ashton, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, participated in the session end emphasized the importance of the coordinated cooperation between NATO and EU in the context of the EU’s initiative for pooling and sharing of capabilities.

In his statement, Minister Anguelov informed the delegates that Bulgaria has already begun working, in its capacity of a leading nation, on two projects within the framework of the smart defence initiative.

The Bulgarian Minister of defence emphasized the importance of this new model of working and the necessity for the public to be well informed in the process of building collective capabilities. Minister Anguelov underlined that it is necessary for the partner-countries to make commitments and avoid duplication of efforts with the EU.  

In the light of the agenda of NATO Summit in Chicago in May 2012, at a working dinner the Ministers of Defence discussed the stage of development of NATO missile defence project as well as issues related to the Alliance’s deterring and defence potential.

Today, the Meeting continued with sessions with the participation of partners in NATO operations in Kosovo (KFOR) and Afghanistan (ISAF).

Directly after the end of the Meeting, Minister Anguelov departed for Munich where he would take part in the Annual security conference.

Today, January 30th, Deputy Defense Minister Avgustina Tzvetkova met with Michael Ryan, Deputy Director of the Department ECJ5/8 for Security and Defense Cooperation, U.S. EUCOM.

Among the issues discussed were the use of the shared facilities in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and the security initiatives in the region. The conduct of joint Bulgarian-U.S. trainings and exercises with the participation of units of the armed forces of countries from the region and the implementation of the idea of deploying the Headquarters of the Multinational South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria after 2015 were set out as a goal to lead to an even more fruitful cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States.

In the context of contemporary economic realities, the pooling and sharing of resources, facilities and equipment required for the conduct of training has assumed increasingly greater importance. The intensive conduct of joint Bulgarian-U.S. trainings and the optimal use of shared facilities in our territory with the participation of third countries, especially countries from the Balkan and the Black Sea regions, as well as that of the units of SEEBRIG, will enhance the contribution of the Republic of Bulgaria and of the United States to the Smart Defense Initiative.

The two officials also discussed options for the establishment in our country of a Center of Excellence which would integrate NATO's experience and the needs of the region in the context of global and European security with regard to resolving crisis situations.

“Over the first two years of tenure we have stabilized the defence system; we have settled liabilities previously incurred; we have drawn up the required strategic and legislative acts and we have proceeded to their implementation,” said Defence Minister Anu Anguelov at the first press conference this year, which was held today, January 27th, at the Ministry of Defence. He gave an overview of what was achieved in 2010 and 2011 and outlined the priorities of the activities of the Ministry of Defence for 2012.

Minister Anguelov pointed out that the administrative reform undertaken has ensured the functioning of the integrated leadership model, and that the number of administration employees has been considerably reduced and the efficiency of their activities has been improved. Anti-corruption measures have been introduced, and the role of the control authorities of the Ministry of Defence has been increased and their activities have been expanded. A new career development system has been introduced for the professional military personnel, as well as a new system for the military apparel supply. “Under the conditions of financial and economic crisis, we managed to retain the social compensations for the military personnel and we even managed to reinstate some and to introduce new bonuses,” Minister Anguelov said.

“In 2011, we brought the focus back to the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces by way of three key priorities: exercises and combat training; participation in missions and operations; and modernization. It is our ambition that in 2012 we continue with the active training of the military formations and increase the number of exercises,” Minister Anguelov said.

Emphasis will be given to the joint training of the formations of the Bulgarian Army with the aim of upgrading capabilities, as all three services will take part in key large-scale exercises, including the three-phase command post exercise Esen 2012 (Autumn 2012) and the national live-firing exercise Shabla 2012. At the tactical level, a total of 124 exercises will be conducted. Among the planned exercises are also certification exercises for various military formations.

Minister Anguelov pointed out that the number of joint Bulgarian-US trainings will also be increased this year. In 2012 there will be 22 trainings, which will be held at home and abroad. The number of personnel to take part in them is 5,500 – is one third higher than that in 2011, when 15 trainings were carried out with the participation of nearly 3,000 personnel, Minister Anguelov observed.

In addition to enhanced training, the 2012 priorities include: implementation of the Plan for the Development of the Armed Forces through reorganization of tactical units and introduction of new doctrines for the use of Armed Forces; completion of training and successful certification of the first battalion battlegroup of the Land Forces; committed participation in missions and preparation for the implementation of the Strategy on the transformation of our participation in Afghanistan; application of the Law on the Reserve and recruitment of the first reservists. The modernization projects will be aimed at ensuring logistic support and maintaining operational readiness of the new combat equipment, as well as preparation of smart defence projects within NATO.

As regards reform, Minister Anguelov pointed out that in 2012 we will move forward to restructuring the formations at the tactical level and that 30% of the personnel redundancies envisaged by the Plan for the Development of the Armed Forces up to 2014 will be made. The layoffs will affect nearly 2,700 military personnel and 400 civilians. A large portion of the military personnel from the garrisons to be closed down, Vratsa and Musachevo, will be given a chance to continue their service at other garrisons. The new Register of Armed Forces Vacancies will be completed in February, Minister Anguelov said.

The withdrawal of two medical teams from Herat in 2012 will mark the beginning of the implementation of the Strategy on the transformation of Armed Forces participation in NATO’s operation in Afghanistan. “In 2012, we will continue participating in the operations and missions under the aegis of the UN, NATO, and the European Union,” Minister Anguelov pointed out, adding that the plans also involve the participation of a frigate class ship in NATO’s Mediterranean operation Active Endeavour. Over the past year, the total number of military personnel taking part in missions and operations abroad was 1,739.

We have improved our work in the field of procurement and services; the number of procedures carried out which have resulted in the conclusion of contracts has increased, said the Defence Minister, and explained that out of the 151 procedures carried out in 2011, 21 were terminated, amounting to 14% of all procedures. For comparison, in 2010, 18% were terminated, in 2009 their share was 38%, and in 2008 it was 46% respectively.

“The more important conclusion to be made is the clear commitment to making public procurement award procedures public and open with the aim of ensuring competition and preventing corrupt practices. All procedures are publicly announced, including the special public procurement procedures, and information on every procedure is published on the website of the Ministry of Defence,” Minister Anguelov declared. In 2011, out of a total of 151 procedures carried out, 112 were open public procurement award procedures; in 2010, out of 68 procedures carried out, 54 were open procedures. For comparison, in 2009, out of 84 procedures carried out, the open ones were 44; and in 2008, out of 117 procedures carried out, the open ones were 54.

At the press conference, the Minister of Defence also commented on the Law on the Reserve of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria, which passed the first reading stage at the National Assembly yesterday.

An Agreement on Joint Military Training and Exercises was signed today, January 15th, between Anu Anguelov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria, and Ehud Barak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the State of Israel.

The Agreement aims to extend the military cooperation between the two countries by way of conducting joint training activities, which will result in greater interoperability and improvement of the level of training and preparedness of formations of the Armed Forces for work in international environment. The document regulates the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the two countries with regard to joint trainings of the Armed Forces, the status of forces in the territory of the Host Nation, as well as environmental issues, jurisdiction, customs and immigration issues, financial issues, responsibility in the event of accidents, claims, obligations of the parties with regard to observing international treaties, etc.

One more bilateral document was signed at the meeting of the two Ministers held at the Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv: Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Defence of Israel on Cooperation in the Field of Defence Industry. This document regulates the cooperation in production and trade in defence products between the two countries, as well as the extension of joint scientific, research, project and experiment activities.

"I am confident that the two agreements signed today are not simply a document concerning the business and a document concerning the armies of the two countries; they also bear their political message: Bulgaria and Israel are now a step further along the road towards enhanced partnership and strategic dialogue," Minister Anguelov said at the signature ceremony.

He was received with a guard of honour at the Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv, where he had a nearly one-hour long conversation with his counterpart Ehud Barak. The two Ministers emphasized the importance of the documents signed for the deepening of the cooperation between the two countries and expressed their satisfaction with the long-lasting tradition of good relations of understanding. They identified some potential areas of cooperation in the field of defence, among which military education and training and exchange of information and experience.

A ceremony on the conclusion of the combat duty of a contingent of the Bulgarian Army incorporated in the European Union Multinational Battlegroup HELBROC is scheduled to take place tomorrow, January 4th, at the 52740 Haskovo Military Formation. TheHELBROC Multinational Battlegroup (BG) performed combat duty from July 1st through December 31st 2011. The ceremony will also be attended by Land Forces Commander Major General Stefan Vasilev.

The Bulgarian contingent is composed of a light infantry company and a staff element. The company was formed and received its training at 52740 Haskovo Military Formation. It underwent a five-month training starting in November 2010 and received a national certificate for participation in missions and operations in March 2011.

The staff element was certified during the command post exercise EVROPI II/2011, conducted by the HELBROC BG HQ in May 2011 at the Nea Santa firing range in the Hellenic Republic.

National Commander of the contingent is Colonel Bozhidar Borisov from the Operations Department of the Land Forces Command. He is also Deputy Commander of the Multinational Battlegroup. Commander of the Company is Captain Hristo Vasilev from the 52740 Haskovo Military Formation.

The ceremony commences at 11.00am tomorrow, January 4th, at 52740 Haskovo Military Formation.

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The multinational battlegroup HELBROC BG was founded in 2006 by four EU Member States: Hellas, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus. In 2011 the group was joined by Ukraine. The Framework Nation of the Battlegroup is Greece.

The Battlegroup performed duty three times: in the first half of 2007, the first half of 2009 and in the second half of 2011. Commander of the Battlegroup for the third period of combat duty was Brigadier General Christos Kavadias, Commander of the 71st Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Hellenic Republic.

HELBROC BG is a brigade-size multinational expeditionary tactical formation with a high-level of readiness. It is composed of Force Headquarters, Land, Naval, and Air Components. The Land Component is a reinforced battalion including an airborne and light infantry company, a marine company, components designated for special, psychological, and civil-military operations, as well as combat and logistic support units.