BG

GOVERNMENT DECIDES ON A PHASED WITHDRAWAL OF THE BULGARIAN TROOPS DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN

15.04.2021

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the cabinet ministers held an extraordinary meeting which took the decision to proceed with planning the withdrawal of the troops of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria that are deployed in the NATO-led international mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (Resolute Support Mission/RSM).

 

Prime Minister Borissov stressed the excellent professional performance of the Bulgarian troops in Afghanistan over the years. “We are proud of our brave and good soldiers and officers who are doing wonderfully in a risky operation. They are excellently trained and discipline-abiding military. I am extremely grateful to them for the risk that they take and for the glory that they bring to the homeland,” said Prime Minister Borissov.

 

The Council of Ministers decision was taken in the context the extraordinary meeting on 14 April 2021 of the NATO foreign affairs and defense ministers who decided to start planning the phased and orderly withdrawal of the Mission starting on 1 May 2021.

 

“On the basis of yesterday’s discussion we come up with the conclusion and the proposal to organize the withdrawal of our troops together with the withdrawal of the allies in the Mission that will be organized by NATO between 1 May and early September,” said Krasimir Karakachanov, Deputy Prime Minister for Public Order and Security and Minister of Defense. This 117-men-strong unit is Bulgaria’s 42nd input to the NATO-led international mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces Resolute Support.