The Bulgarian involvement in NATO (1995-2014)

The thesis deals with the topic of the Bulgarian foreign and security policy in the post-communist era. The theoretical part is focused on the neo-realistic concept of security, as well as the terms security policy and the matters regarding the alliance formation. In the context of European post-socialist countries and their integration with the European and Trans-Atlantic alliances, Bulgaria occupies, due to the traditional historically justified warm relations to Russia, a unique position. Another important component of this unique process is the balkanization of the Bulgarian foreign policy which concentrated on the relations with the neighboring countries -- Greece, Turkey, Romania, Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia -- at the expense of the westernization. Therefore, the attitude towards the neighbors and the relations to them with regard to their respective historical and cultural background are included as well. Only after taking into account the Balkan circumstances it is possible to study the process of the Bulgarian voyage to the full membership in NATO and the revision of the Bulgarian doctrinal documents connected with it. The thesis closes with a thorough analysis of the Bulgarian participation in out-of-area operations in Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq including in addition to general information about these missions themselves