No escalation of NATO's military presence in Black Sea: Bulgarian defense chief

The naval presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea has been regular and has not escalated, Bulgaria's acting chief of defense Vice Admiral Emil Eftimov said here on Wednesday.

In recent years, the scale of NATO's presence in the Black Sea has been constant, and "I do not see escalation or expansion of this presence," Eftimov said at a press conference.

At present, the Bulgarian Navy is focusing on optimizing their training and exercises being conducted in the Black Sea region, and on the efficient and optimal use of the visits of NATO's standing maritime groups in the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, they increased their situational awareness, he said.

Last Thursday, NATO defense ministers agreed to increase the Alliance's naval presence in the Black Sea for enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and a maritime coordination function.

However, there were some worries in Bulgaria that this NATO's decision would escalate tensions in the Black Sea region and intensify the confrontation between the NATO and Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Endit