Bulgarian deputy PM calls for closer NATO-EU cooperation amid global threats

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Krasimir Karakachanov here on Tuesday said NATO and the European Union (EU) should deepen their cooperation amid global threats and increasing unpredictability.

The strategic environment is characterized by growing unpredictability and extreme dynamics, and globalization remains a leading trend that continues to affect the external security context, Karakachanov said in an opening address to the international conference "Future Armed Forces 2040."

Active and successful interaction between NATO and the EU is crucial for their ability to successfully meet future challenges, said Karakachanov who is also defense minister.

In order to better address the new risks and threats, the two organizations need to achieve more practical cooperation, he said.

More active exchange of information and conducting joint analyses of the strategic environment are needed, as well as the implementation of multinational capacity-building projects within NATO and the EU, joint use of infrastructure and technical facilities, and cooperation in training, Karakachanov said.

More than 80 experts are participating in the two-day conference, organized by the Defense Advanced Research Institute of Bulgaria's G. S. Rakovski National Defense College.

source: Xinhua