Bulgarian scientists from ULSIT participated in the international forum on issues of security and defense

As part of the National Scientific Program Security and Defense (NSPSD) task 3.2.1. “Research on Concepts, Doctrines and Strategies on Security. Modelling the National Security System and the “Statesmanship-Security System”, Bulgarian scientists from the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT) participated in the International Conference „Dynamics of Security Architecture in the Wider Black Sea Area, in the Context of the Conflict in Ukraine and the New NATO Strategic Concept“ of Romanian Military Thinking – Journal of Military Science and Security Studies Published by the Defence Staff, https://en-gmr.mapn.ro/pages/home.

The conference was opened by Gen. Daniel Petrescu – Chief of Defense Staff of the Republic of Romania. Special participants in the forum were Mr. Mircea Geoana - NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Florin Spataru – Minister of Economy of Romania, His Excellency Bogdan Aurescu – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Mr. Iulian Chifu – Foreign Policy, Security and Strategic Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister of Romania, Lieutenant General Vasko Gjurchinovski – Chief of Army General Staff of the Republic of North Macedonia, Major General Karol Dymanowski – Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, His Excellency Sorin Ducaru – Director of the European Union Satellite Centre (SATCEN), Mr. David Muniz – Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy to Bucharest, etc.

During the conference, there were plenary discussion sessions organized in five panels on current issues of the modern security environment, where the issues of nuclear deterrence were discussed in the light of the conflict in Ukraine, the military capabilities of NATO and the EU countries, the developing situation in Ukraine and the growing strategic competition in a critical period for international security, peace and stability.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Plamen Bogdanov, who was invited as an official guest of the conference and a special speaker on one of the panels, took an active part in the discussions. During his speech, he introduced the topic „Deficiencies in Military Capabilities of European NATO Member States at the End of the 20th and the Beginning of the 21st Century“, emphasizing the development of EU and NATO security and defense policies and capabilities, major security and defense programs and projects of the two alliances, among which Permanent Structured Cooperation – PESCO and Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic – DIANA, the results of the implementation of the policies and strategic documents of the EU and especially of the existing deficits in the military capabilities of the European NATO member countries.

In the following days, the Bulgarian scientists from UniBIT also participated with scientific papers. The paper by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Plamen Bogdanov aroused great interest on the topic “The Role of the National Security Strategy in the National Security of the United States“, which emphasized the evolution of US national security strategies over the past eight decades and the increasing role of strategies in formulating and communicating the country's security, defense, and foreign policy issues, especially in the current security environment.

PhD student Mario Marinov delivered a presentation on “The Strategic Nuclear Treaty Regime at a Crossroads. The (Im)Possible Search for a New Point of Balance?”, in which the results of studies related to the state and problems of the system of contractual relations between the United States and Russia on the issues of nuclear arms control, nuclear deterrence, and the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of nuclear arsenals were presented.

During the international forum, the ULSIT representatives officially presented the Chief of Defense Staff of Romania – General Daniel Petrescu with an honorary certificate and plaque “70 years of ULSIT” for his contribution to the development of scientific research in the field of security and defense, accompanied by a congratulatory address from the Rector of ULSIT Prof. D.Sc. Irena Peteva. General Daniel Petrescu thanked for the honor and presented the representatives of ULSIT with the honorary plaque of the Defense Staff of the Republic of Romania.