Sofia, February 9 (BTA) - US Department of State Counselor Derek Chollet on Tuesday led a delegation of senior US officials to Sofia as part of a multi-country trip to engage with US partners and allies on a range of strategic issues, the US Embassy in Bulgaria said in a press release on Wednesday.

During his visit, which continued the bilateral Strategic Dialogue which launched in January 2020, the Counselor conferred with Defence Minister Stefan Yanev, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Assen Vassilev, and Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska.

The guest and his Bulgarian hosts discussed "a broad range of issues, strategizing how our two countries can build on our robust people-to-people ties; boost our shared prosperity and security; and continue our close transatlantic coordination in support of UkraineТs sovereignty and territorial integrity," the press release said.

It quoted Chollet as hailing the results of his talks with members of the Bulgarian government, saying: "We welcome the ambitious agenda of the new Bulgarian government and look forward to supporting them as they tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, corruption, climate change, energy diversification, and other key issues."

The Counselor's late Tuesday talks with Yanev focused on bilateral military relations and continuing strategic dialogue, the opportunities for defence-industry cooperation between Bulgaria and the US, and the projects for upgrading Bulgarian armed forces, the Defence Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

"At this critical point, it is important for us to be sure we are headed in the right direction through modernization and capacity building," Yanev said. He stressed the need of implementing a project for the acquisition of new armoured vehicles for the Land Forces as part of efforts to establish a mechanized infantry unit, which the Bulgarian Armed Forces prioritize urtently, the Defence Minister pointed out.

The sides also discussed the complicated security environment around the border between Russia and Ukraine, NATO's role in this context, and possible approaches to finding a diplomatic solution to conflict issues and de-escalating tensions. Both underscored the two Allies' strategic partnership.

Opportunities to develop an Allied strategy for the Black Sea and the serious problem of hybrid and cyber-attacks were also on the agenda. Yanev said Bulgaria is working on a national cyber strategy and cyber defence capacity building.

At the session with Vassilev, the sides discussed subjects related to upgrading the bilateral Strategic Dialogue between Bulgaria and the US, strengthening common security, and furthur pursuit of Trans-Atlantic cooperation, the Finance Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

The Deputy PM stressed the need of expanding Bulgarian-US industrial cooperation. He familiarized the guests with the Bulgarian Government's efforts to fight corruption, improve the performance of the judicial system, and diversify energy sources in the region.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for European and NATO Policy Spencer P. Boyer and the US Ambassador in Sofia Herro Mustafa also took part in the meeting with Vassilev. ZH/BR, LG//