AFCEA President Visits Region

In April, the chapter received a visit from Kent R. Schneider, AFCEA International president and chief executive officer. During his presentation, Schneider discussed different organizational issues and AFCEA International's 500-day action plan with Col. Simeon Kralikov, BU A (Ret.), chapter president, and Konstantin Zografov, AFCEA International regional vice president for the Mediterranean and Black Sea Region. The chapter received a positive evaluation of the work it has accomplished since its inception 17 years ago. The chapter also arranged meetings with government officials, where Schneider had discussions with Lt. Gen. Anyu Angelov, BU A (Ret.), minister of defense; Konstantin Dimitrov, minister of foreign affairs; Pavlin Dimitrov, deputy minister of interior; and Tsveta Markova, chairperson of the State Commission on Information Security. Luke Johnson, political officer, U.S. Embassy, joined U.S. representatives for an official dinner, where they reviewed the existing partnership and discussed future joint activities. Schneider detailed a plan to develop cooperation between the chapter and the Bulgarian government. This year, the highest priority will be the technical and technological modernization projects for the Ministry of Interior. Markova proposed establishing a new Regional Computer Accidents Management Center. Discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on the technical and technological aspects of regional security. The dialogue with the Ministry of Defense has opened the door for a future conference related to national security and defense strategy.

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