Italian Government
Official Visit of Minister Crosetto to Bulgaria
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“It is an honour to bring you the greetings and gratitude of the Government and the Italian people, together with our appreciation for the work you are carrying out to protect NATO’s south-eastern flank in an increasingly complex security environment.
Defending this area means contributing to the security of the entire Alliance and, consequently, also to Italy’s security.
Leading the Multinational Battle Group means that our country is assuming a concrete responsibility and confirming, on the ground, Italy’s role and credibility. This credibility has been built over decades of missions and continues today through your work and professionalism.
Deterrence is built every day through preparation, operational efficiency and interoperability with our Allies. For this reason, we must continue to invest in training, drawing on the lessons emerging from contemporary conflicts. We cannot prepare for tomorrow’s scenarios using the patterns of the past.
Our task is to be prepared for the worst so that the worst does not happen. That is the essence of deterrence. Credibility is built on military capabilities, but also on a profoundly Italian way of carrying out our mission: with firmness when necessary, attention to people and the ability to build trust.
Thank you for what you do, for how you do it, and for the credibility that you build for Italy every day.”
Minister Guido Crosetto said this at the Novo Selo Training Area, where he met with Italian military personnel deployed as part of NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) Bulgaria.
Minister Guido Crosetto, on an official visit to Bulgaria, held a cordial meeting with his counterpart, Dimitar Stoyanov. “Italy and Bulgaria share a common vision of the main challenges to European security, starting with the central role of the EU and NATO as the key frameworks for strategic decision-making and the need to strengthen the European pillar of the Alliance, going beyond the perimeter of the 27 Member States in a spirit of full complementarity with NATO,” Minister Crosetto said. He then stressed the “convergence also on cooperation in the defence industry sector and on the need to enhance our ability to counter new threats, starting with hybrid and cognitive warfare, by developing synergies and shared solutions.” The meeting also focused on the stability of the Western Balkans and the security of the Black Sea, an integral part of Euro-Atlantic security, with particular attention to surveillance and reconnaissance activities and the protection of critical underwater, energy and communications infrastructure. “We also share a common focus,” Minister Crosetto added, “on strengthening deterrence and defence on the Eastern Flank, including through the continuation of the Agreement on the joint management of the military infrastructure at Kabile, in support of the presence of the NATO Multinational Battle Group.”
The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, has arrived in Bulgaria, the first stop of a series of official visits abroad, during which he will meet Italian military personnel and hold institutional talks. Upon his arrival, Minister Crosetto was welcomed by his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Stoyanov.
