European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday july 3 i 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3cooperation a Breeze for 7 navies Lack sea event helps build Trust Host Leader says by Marian Hamilton Mediterranean Bureau aboard the bulgarian flagship smell in the Black sea a Nava exercises such As the recently con eluded Breeze �?T94 will help nato and the United nations work together during humanitarian missions said the president of the Host nation Bulgaria. Breeze �?T94 was the first naval exercise in the Black sea involving Russia Ukraine Romania Turkey Greece Bulgaria and the United states. Bulgaria played Host to the exercise off its coast. The Maneu vers began july 24 and ended Friday. Quot what is important is that this Breeze �?T94 is a humanitarian operation the aim of which is to demonstrate common tactics in salvaging ships in distress and protecting humanitarian convoys and other humanitarian operations a said Zhenyu Zhelev president of Bulgaria since August 1990. Zhelev spent four hours wednesday observing the action aboard the bulgarian flagship smell. Quot from what we have seen in Yugoslavia Rwanda and elsewhere we can judge regrettably that nato and the United nations will have to be Able to Cope with such situations in the future a he said. Zhelev watched wednesday from the smell As ships from Russia the United states Turkey and Ukraine took part in a search and Rescue operation to Aid a Bugarian submarine in  Bulgaria is a member of natos partnership for peace program which offers Many former East bloc nations a Bridge to possible full membership in the Alliance. Besides bolstering the effectiveness of joint Maneu vers Breeze �?T94 was a a very effective Confidence building measure and Fosters Trust Between the countries along the Black sea a Zhelev said. Quot personal contacts and firsthand impressions Between members of the different. A. A is amps Marian Hamilton bulgarian president Zhenyu Zhelev Center and Cabinet Leader Yulia Gourko ska right watch the Black sea exercises from the bulgarian flagship smell. Seven nations including the United states took part in the Maneu vers which ended Friday. Navies a he said a show not Only what the bulgarian Navy is like but also the hospitality of the bulgarian people and their preparedness to protect peace in the Region. A it gives us another perspective of the change since the fall of communism. In spite of our sense of frustration because of be slow Pace of Reform and change none Leless exercises like this show what big Progress the world has made by making such a multinational operation possible bringing together people from countries which used to be  vice adm. Ventse Lav Velkov commander of the bulgarian naval forces said bulgarians Small size helped when putting together the exercise. A we did no to have to worry about problems and disagreements like a big country would a Velkov said. Quot Turkey and Greece have disagreements. So do the Ukraine and Russia.  them together at least for this exercise. Quot i think when president Clinton thought up the partnership for peace at sea he must have peeked into our plans and borrowed the idea from us a Zhelev joked. Next year Bulgaria would like to play Host to a similar exercise inviting the same countries with different exercises and training at sea. The bulgarians also Are planning a multinational exercise involving land and air forces the president said a nah this a Zhelev said a contributes much More to the building of Confidence Between these countries than any hollow words and political  Maneu vers will put if on nato course by Marian Hamilton Mediterranean Bureau aboard the bulgarian flagship smell in the Black sea about in bulgarian Waters amid. A amps Marian Hamilton rum Lana Dimitrova left and Yuri Gen Olov note ship positions on a Glass map at Breeze �?T94 exercise Headquarters in Burgas Bulgaria. The warships gathered for Breeze �?T94 was a flotilla of Small fishing boats. Quot you would have never seen this 10 years ago a said Yulia Gourko ska chief of the bulgarian Cabinet commenting on the new Freedom in the Region. A it was unthinkable to have fishing boats around military ships a but times have definitely changed for former Warsaw pact member Bulgaria. The country Felt it took a giant step toward becoming a full member of nato recently when it played Host to Breeze �?T94, a naval exercise in the Black sea involving Russia Ukraine Turkey Greece Romania and the United states. A fall the talk about the great difficulties of new countries joining nato a like the great disparity Between their methods and techniques and the standards of their equipment a were All disproved by an exercise like Breeze �?T94 a said Zhenyu Zhelev president of Bulgaria. A this shows that there is a lot of similarity Between their communication techniques and methods of conducting operations a he said. A there is not such an insurmountable difficulty As it seemed. A we have received a manual from the . Navy on the technical mane vering of ships at sea which is a manual that links together and equalizes the methods we use and they use in  a Large part of bulgarians acceptance in nato also will depend on its stability As a nation. Keeping the country on an even keel is a easy to talk about but hard to do a Gourko ska said. Bulgaria has a problem with unemployment As Well As with insecurity about the future the Cabinet chief said. The country a leaders Are talking with neighbouring governments about a Black sea agreement but Progress is slow. Zhelev does not have the executive Power enjoyed by president Clinton. The prime minister and parliament must agree before changes Are made Gourko ska said. Although a relatively Small country a about the size of Ohio and Home to 9 million people a bulgarians location has thrust it into the Middle of Black sea politics. A a a a we have been maintaining cooperation with the other Black sea countries like Russia the Ukraine Romania Turkey and even Greece which is not strictly speaking a Black sea country a Zhelev said. A towing to some strange circumstances it Greece requested and was granted the hosting of the Black sea cooperation Bank which was to be based in Salonika a he said