In the period from 31 August to 3 September 2016, the Rector of Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, Commodore Prof. DSc Boyan Mednikarov, took part in the 20th conference of the chiefs of naval academies from the EU and USA, which was hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The biennial event was also attended by the heads of the naval academies of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, as well as the head of the Naval Institute at the Odessa National Maritime University.

The participants at the conference discussed matters concerning to the academic programmes, leadership training, professional development and realisation of the cadets. Special guests at the conference were Adm. Michael Rogers, Commander, U.S. Cyber-Security Command, and Director, National Security Agency, and Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations of the USA.

Based on a proposal coordinated with the MoD, at the end of the conference Commodore Prof. DSc Boyan Mednikarov extended an invitation to all participants to hold the next 21st meeting in 2018 at Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy. The invitation was gladly accepted.