The project for the new multi-role patrol ship is making rapid progress, Bulgarian caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said here on Saturday.
At a ceremony and concert, Stoyanov greeted the naval personnel on the occasion of the 143rd anniversary of the Bulgarian Navy.
The Bulgarian Navy guarantees this country’s sovereignty and security, the Minister said. As proof of the seamen’s professionalism, he cited the latest successful exercise Breeze 2022, involving 11 countries, which took place in the Black Sea “in an exceedingly complicated geopolitical environment”.
Addressing the event, the Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov highlighted the currently complicated military strategic context with a war waged in immediate proximity to Bulgaria’s borders. “Over the years, we have repeatedly stressed the critical importance of the Black Sea for our national security. We have stood up for this position in an Allied format,” the Admiral emphasized. “Naval combat power is on a heightened state of readiness, and the seaspace surveillance system operates on a 24/7 basis. The enhanced vigilance measures and the need to build up steadily the deterrent and defence capabilities face the naval personnel with new, more rigorous requirements,” the Chief of Defence said.
