Sofia, Bulgaria: As per information shared by Pentagon, the United States of America Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be paying a visit to the European country of Bulgaria. The visit of the US Secretary has been planned for this week only, the pentagon spokesperson notified.Â
Spokesman – John Kirby stated US Defense Secretary will initially travel to Brussels, Belgium Today (on March 16, 2022), where he will be conducting a meeting with the other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) counterparts.Â
From there, Austin will pay a visit to Slovakia and then will arrive in Sofia.Â
He stated, “Today, the minister added the third stop in his plans – Bulgaria. The trip is extended by one day so that he has the opportunity to meet with the civilian and military leaders of Bulgaria. This is a key stop from the point of view of the alliance’s eastern flank”.Â
Meanwhile, on reaching Brussels, the US Defense Secretary, on his Twitter handle, cited, “Just landed in Brussels. While here, I’ll meet with my fellow Defense Ministers to discuss Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and other topics related to regional security. As @POTUS and I have said before our commitment to defend @NATO territory is ironclad. with @USAmbNATO“. Â
Just landed in Brussels. While here, I’ll meet with my fellow Defense Ministers to discuss Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and other topics related to regional security. As @POTUS and I have said before, our commitment to defend @NATO territory is ironclad. w @USAmbNATO pic.twitter.com/qv3uXJ2xtd
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) March 15, 2022
The recent tweet of Austin cites, “My thanks to @jensstoltenberg for calling this #DefMin. I believe our presence here sends a signal to the world that we remain united in our support of Ukraine, and we condemn Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion. #WeAreNATO“.Â
My thanks to @jensstoltenberg for calling this #DefMin. I believe our presence here sends a signal to the world that we remain united in our support of Ukraine and we condemn Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/r0OtBHlTJR
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) March 16, 2022
Earlier on March 15, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria – Kiril Petkov, held a telephonic conversation with the Vice-President of the United States – Kamala Harris, on the ongoing situation between Russia-Ukraine.Â
Sharing the information, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Petkov tweeted, “I had a phone call with Vice President of the United States @KamalaHarris. She thanked the Bulgarian government for the provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine and for our support to those fleeing from the war.”Â
I had a phone call with Vice President of the United States @KamalaHarris. She thanked the Bulgarian government for the provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine and for our support to those fleeing from the war.
— Kiril Petkov (@KirilPetkov) March 14, 2022