On October 8, 2009, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borissov, Defense Minister Nikolay Mladenov, Ambassador John Ordway (Chargé d’Affaires) and the Commander of U.S. Army Europe General Carter Ham observed the joint training of Bulgarian and U.S. troops at the Novo Selo Training Area near Sliven. In his remarks following a live field demonstration by troops from both countries, PM Borissov thanked the U.S. military for providing a training opportunity for the Bulgarian military and vowed to continue Bulgaria’s military cooperation with the United States. For his part, Gen. Ham expressed hope that the U.S. would continue to train in Novo Selo because of the “tremendous opportunities that are offered in this training site.”