01682nas a2200289   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260000900043653001200052653002100064653001600085653001200101653001500113653001800128653001900146653002100165653000900186653001400195653001500209100002300224700002000247700002000267245013400287300001000421490000700431520095400438       2019                            d  c201910aBalkans10aBlack Sea region10acooperation10adefense10aDeterrence10aEastern Flank10aEuropean Union10aInteroperability10aNATO10areadiness10aresilience1 aVelizar Shalamanov1 aPavel Anastasov1 aGeorgi Tsvetkov00aDeterrence and Defense at the Eastern Flank of NATO and the EU: Readiness and Interoperability in the Context of Forward Presence  a25-420 v183 a<p>This article reflects the discussions during a September 2018 conference in Sofia, sponsored by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division. Its focus is on the defense and deterrence posture of NATO and the European Union in Eastern Europe. Special attention is given to the development of the Bucharest Initiative (B9) and its influence on the Western Balkans and Black Sea Region. The authors propose a Program for Readiness and Interoperability, oriented to the C4ISR area. This is based on the defense posture and in the context of the developments in NATO and the European Union for improved readiness and interoperability with partners that, together with enhanced cooperation in education and training for the de¬fined B9+ region, will act as instruments to implement this cooperation and improve the deterrence and defense capability on the Eastern Flank of NATO and the EU, while at the same time strengthening resilience to hybrid threats.</p>