"Bulgaria has distinguished itself as a valuable and reliable partner and leader in regional security. Bulgaria secures NATO's eastern flank and the critical Black Sea region."
This is what the US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten said at the event "Bulgaria-US-NATO".
The event marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO, the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's membership in the Alliance and the 33rd anniversary of the Atlantic Club.
Merten honoured the participation of Bulgarian servicemen in NATO peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Iraq.
The Ambassador also noted the fact that for the past two years Bulgaria has been hosting a multinational battle group, within which servicemen from eight different countries participate.
"This multinational force unites us in our common mission to protect our nations from external threats and to ensure prosperity for our citizens," Merten said.
"NATO's core tasks of defence and deterrence are as important today as they were when the alliance was founded. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reminded us that freedom and democracy cannot be taken for granted," the US ambassador added. /BGNES
