| Summary/Abstract |
This article examines the Bulgarian government’s struggle to modernize its navy since the end of the Cold War. Although the Bulgarian navy is small, it is an important navy and an interesting case study, for two reasons: it plays an important role in protecting and advancing Bulgaria’s interests in the maritime domain, and it operates in an increasingly challenging maritime nvironment. Situated in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula on the Black Sea, on
which it has a long coastline, Bulgaria has important economic and security interests in the maritime domain, and its navy has a significant part to play in protecting these interests. Bulgaria’s Black Sea ports of Varna and Bourgas are the gateways of 60 percent of the nation’s foreign trade and are vital to its economy. Bulgaria has also become one of the leading tourist destinations in Europe.
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