Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with Bulgarian Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov today at the NATO Defense Ministerial to reaffirm and strengthen the important U.S.-Bulgaria defense relationship.
Secretary Mattis highlighted Bulgaria's role as a critical security partner in the increasingly complex threat environment of the Black Sea region, and praised recent military modernization and defense capacity building efforts including a plan to reach the Wales defense spending commitment by 2024. He thanked the minister for Bulgaria’s planned increased military contribution to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, and for co-hosting the exercise Saber Guardian in July, the largest 2017 exercise in Europe for NATO allies and partners.