Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic Daniel Zmeko met with his Bulgarian counterpart Admiral Emil Eftimov in Sofia on Monday. They discussed strengthening security on the eastern wing of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) and current developments in the Middle East, TASR writes, according to a report by the BTA agency.
“Bulgaria and Slovakia are located in strategically important regions where NATO is strengthening deterrence and defense. Both countries face challenges arising from Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict in Iran and potential destabilizing threats,” the Bulgarian Defense Ministry quoted Eftimov as saying in a statement.
At the meeting, the Chief of the Bulgarian General Staff emphasized the importance of the eastern wing for the collective security of the Alliance and highlighted the challenges countries in the region face due to the rapidly evolving global security environment.
Eftimov also emphasized the importance of expanding defense cooperation between Bulgaria and Slovakia. He noted that cooperation strengthens regional stability and increases NATO’s collective deterrence and defense capabilities.
The negotiations also covered the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces, while special attention was paid sharing the experience of the Slovak Air Force with the procurement and operation of F-16 Block 70 aircraft, as well as the training of aviation and technical personnel. The Slovak delegation was also the commander of the Air Force of the Slovak Armed Forces, Adolf Daubner.
