Balkans

“The champion of our petrochemical industry.” So boasted Todor Zhivkov, then-communist leader of Bulgaria, when the country’s first oil refinery at Burgas on the Black Sea coast launched operations in 1963.

Nearly six decades later, Bulgaria’s planned economy may be long gone, but the so-called champion continues refining oil into gasoline and other petroleum products. It is not only the largest such energy enterprise in Bulgaria but the entire Balkans region.

Strykers and combat support vehicles lined up at the Army airfield Wednesday as about 1,000 American troops prepared to head to Romania for an open-ended deployment meant to reassure allies worried about Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine.

The Vilseck-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment soldiers will remain in Romania to shore up NATO’s eastern flank as long as the mission requires, said Col. Joe Ewers, the regiment’s commander.

While Bulgaria will not just benefit from other’s security, Sofia de facto refused an additional presence of NATO forces on the country’s territory in connection with the Ukraine crisis and committed to resolving it diplomatically.

The position of the Bulgarian government is clear – Bulgaria will be a constructive ally in NATO and the EU, and will maintain a responsible and predictable position. This was stated by Prime Minister Kirill Petkov during an extraordinary session of parliament on Ukraine on Wednesday.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II. Although the Balkan states moved toward democratic governance and integration with NATO and the European Union in the immediate aftermath of the wars, consistent neglect on the part of the West has contributed to a dramatic backsliding in recent years. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin is seizing his opportunity and using the former Yugoslav states as the next battlefield to weaken NATO and the European Union.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, to NATO headquarters on Tuesday. The Secretary General congratulated Ciucă for his appointment as Prime Minister, as well as praising Romania’s contributions to the Alliance, including for playing an essential role in the Black Sea region. Stoltenberg also welcomed Romania’s efforts to help build stability in the Western Balkans, and its support to NATO’s partners, including to Moldova and Ukraine.