Royal College of Defence Studies visit to Bulgaria (04/10/2008)
During the period 28th September – 4th October 2008, a Syndicate of twelve Members from the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) visited Bulgaria at the outset of their ‘EURASIA Tour’, which was also to include Romania, Turkey and Georgia.
RCDS, which celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 2007, is a part of the UK Defence Academy. Its mission is to prepare senior officers and officials of the United Kingdom and other countries and future leaders from the private and public sectors for high responsibilities in their respective organisations, by developing their analytical powers, knowledge of defence and international security, and strategic vision.
The College runs one course a year, from January to December. Each course is attended by approximately 80 Members, around one-third from UK and two-thirds from overseas. 75% are military officers of Colonel/Brigadier or equivalent rank. The remaining 25% are civil servants, diplomats, police officers and representatives from the private sector. All have been selected to attend the course on the strength of their potential to progress to a high position within their profession. To date, some nine Bulgarian Members have graduated from RCDS, and a further Bulgarian Member is due to graduate in December this year.
The aim of the RCDS Overseas Tours is to examine, at first hand and from a strategic perspective, the current position and future prospects for the preservation and enhancement of the stability, security and prosperity of the regions in general, and in particular, the countries visited.
The visiting Syndicate was truly international: there were five Members from the UK (including two members of the Directing Staff), as well as Members from the Colombian Army, the Indonesian Air Force, the Kuwaiti Air Force, the Pakistani Army, the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Singaporean Army, and the United States Navy.
The first two days of the visit were spent in, and around the Capital, Sofia. We started Day One with the scene-setter, The Embassy Brief, in HMA’s Residence after which we enjoyed a session with the Chairman of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG). During the afternoon we had briefings and discussions in the Ministry of Defence and in
the Supreme Cassation Court. During the evening, a Drinks Reception was held in HMA’s Residence, after which we enjoyed dinner and entertainment in the lively Vesselo Selo Restaurant.
Day Two started with an excellent briefing and discussion session with the Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, followed by a session with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We enjoyed a working lunch in HMA’s Residence, which included a presentation by Mr Ivan Krustev of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and some interesting debate and discussion. Our final session in Sofia was with the Deputy Minister for the Interior, after which we enjoyed a pleasant afternoon tea in the Radisson Hotel, before flying down to Bourgas.
The majority of the first day in Bourgas was spent in the Regional Border Police’s Black Sea Co-ordination and Information Centre, studying Black Sea Security and other Key Regional Issues. Later during the day we were most privileged to be hosted for a briefing and discussion session by the Mayor of Bourgas, Mr Dimitar Nikolov.
Our second day in Bourgas began with a briefing and equipment demonstration at the Border Check-Point in Bourgas Port, after which we were transported by Border Police Craft from the Port to the Naval Base at Atiya. We were met at the quayside by the Naval Base Commander and were taken to his Headquarters, where we were given a number of excellent briefings on Naval Issues, and, more specifically, on Bourgas Naval Base Issues. After a period of discussion and debate, we visited the frigate GORDI, which had just arrived in the Naval Base, having recently been purchased from the Belgian Navy. This was an excellent way to end such an informative and useful visit to Bourgas. We then moved by bus to Veliko Tarnovo.
We spent only one day in Veliko Tarnovo and, fortunately, there was some ‘slack’ in the programme in order to allow the Members to have a good look around this beautiful and historic city. For the majority of the working day we were hosted by the Commandant of the ‘Vasil Levski’ National Military University: we received a thorough brief before visiting the University’s many facilities and faculties. After a convivial lunch, we made our way back to Veliko Tarnovo where we were received by His Grace, Bishop Gregorii, the Metropolitan Bishop of Veliko Tarnovo. The Bishop showed us around his church, after which he gave us a short briefing on the ‘Roles and Responsibilities of the Orthodox Church in Bulgaria’. Some lively discussion and debate followed!
The final leg of our journey took us to the city of Rousse, on the banks of the River Danube. That evening we dined in the historic Leventa Restaurant, an old fortress set on the hill overlooking the city. It was a culinary delight, and the wine (produced on the premises) was to be tasted to be believed!
The final day of the visit started with a ‘Hot Wash-Up Session’ in the hotel in Rousse. We then moved to the Headquarters of the Rousse Port Complex for a briefing on the Port’s Operations, after which we visited part of the working port. We then moved back to the city where we enjoyed a delightful, traditional lunch in a charming local restaurant.
After an excellent, successful week’s visit, the RCDS Members once again mounted the bus and travelled northwards, over the Danube and into Romania for the next part of their tour.
