Following yesterday’s request by the Bulgarian side, I was able to inform him today that Greece will provide assets and personnel for the protection of Bulgaria.

In particular, upon decision of the Government Council for National Security, a PATRIOT battery is to be relocated within the next hours to a suitable area, for the anti-ballistic coverage of a large part of Bulgarian territory.

In addition, a pair of F-16 aircraft will be restationed at an airbase in Northern Greece, with the exclusive mission of further covering Bulgaria.

Moreover, 2 Senior Officers of the Hellenic Air Force are dispatched to the Ops Centre of the Bulgarian Armed Forces in Sofia.

I would like to clarify that the above actions respond to a request from Bulgaria, a NATO and EU member state, and do not affect the anti-ballistic protection of the Hellenic territory.

Also, following an invitation from my Bulgarian counterpart, next week I shall visit Sofia.