The Protection of the democratic values is not given for free, nor is it granted. We should make sufficient investments in our defense capabilities, President Rosen Plevneliev told journalists today after he held talks with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The Head of State called on for overcoming the trend towards constantly cutting the defense budgets in Bulgaria and specifying “a minimal level of 1.5 percent of the GDP” to this effect. “We allocate insufficient funds for modernization and this will have a bad impact on national security in a long-term perspective,” Rosen Plevneliev said.
In the President’s view, the member states that have more considerable defense resources should help their partners with smaller capabilities by providing military equipment. “This will also solve the problem of the operational compatibility of the equipment used,” Rosen Plevneliev said. Bulgaria has the ambition to ensure diversification in the future purchases of armament for the Bulgarian army, the Head of State’s words made it clear. He emphasized the need to more actively adhere to the principles of intelligent defense and share resources in NATO when developing a common defense potential.
“Although security has its price, the price of insecurity is much higher. Today we are convinced that we cannot take our security for granted and I expect that all allies will perform their roles so that NATO remains the strongest treaty in history,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
Rosen Plevneliev further said that the Southeast European NATO member states should more actively cooperate in purchasing and maintaining the capabilities of the Air Forces and in protecting the air and sea space in the Black Sea region. The Head of Space highly appreciated the cooperation between Bulgaria, Greece and Poland in constructing a NATO center for crises management and reactions to disasters in Bulgaria and voiced his hope that this endeavor will soon receive the necessary accreditation by the Alliance. In the President’s view, while seeking more efficient solutions to developing a common defense potential, Bulgaria may specialize in spheres such as cybernetic defense, intelligence and the provision of medical service.
The shared position was that the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine poses a threat to the stability and peace in Europe. “NATO does not discuss military options, but focuses on securing an efficient protection and defense of all allies. The Alliance will take all necessary steps to ensure an efficient collective defense,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen emphasized.
The Head of State said that the people of Ukraine have the right to alone decide what their future will be by conducting fair and free elections and that the 20th century practice whereby the Great Powers decide what the future of a given nation will be, should remain in the past. “The crisis in Ukraine shows that the security environment in Europe changes dynamically and requires that NATO reacts by taking concrete measures,” the President said. In it very important for Bulgaria and other NATO member states that plans for extraordinary situations are worked out in a short-term perspective, which will strengthen their common security, Rosen Plevneliev said.
According to the Head of State, the long-term measures which will contribute to the stability in Southeast Europe include supporting NATO’s policy of “open doors” regarding the countries that share the democratic values, as well as conducting more joint military exercises and more actively utilizing the joint military equipments in Bulgaria.
“NATO changed Bulgaria and the whole region for the better. Thanks to the democratic values symbolized by and cherished by the Alliance, today there is much more trust and investments in Southeast Europe and the neighbors have become reliable partners,” the President further said. In a mere ten years after joining the Alliance, our country proved to be a worthy and reliable partner in terms of the security policies pursued and the protection of the democratic values, Rosen Plevneliev emphasized.
At a solemn ceremony the Head of State awarded Anders Fogh Rasmussen the Stara Planina I medal for his personal contribution and merits to conducting the reforms in NATO and to NATO’s recognition as the most successful military-political organization in modern history.
“I accept this award as a clear symbol of success as well as a symbol of Bulgaria’s aspiration for freedom and integration in the Euro-Atlantic family of democratic states. It is also a symbol of NATO’s contribution to protecting the shared values,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. The Secretary General emphasized that he accepts the high state award fully aware of the responsibility that the NATO allies have assumed for ensuring the security of united Europe, which is willing to live in peace.