NEWS

Rosen Plevneliev Called on for Gradually Increasing the Spending on Defense until It Reaches NATO’s Required Levels

The Bulgarian Army is diligently performing its commitments to the country’s security system and its responsibilities as a NATO ally regarding the collective security in NATO and the European Union. This is what the President and Supreme commander-in-chief said in his speech delivered on the Day of Bravery and the Bulgarian Army. The Head of State received the parade of the representative formations of the Armed Forces, which was traditionally held at the Knyaz Alexander I square in Sofia.

Bulgaria should perform its commitment as a NATO member state by planning spending on defense for 2015 worth at least 1,5 percent of the GDP, by gradually increasing the spending in the next years until it reaches NATO’s required level of two percent. Bulgaria should also strengthen its cooperation and ties with its NATO allies, the President said. Rosen Plevneliev was adamant that a requirement for diversification and reducing Bulgaria’s strong dependence on only one country - producer of armaments, should be planned in the program for modernizing the Armed Forces, including the project for purchasing a new type of basic combat aircraft.

“Bulgaria’s NATO membership basically guarantees our independence and national sovereignty. However, this is not sufficient it itself. The process of transformation should continue, it should be speeded up and adapted to the realities of the dynamically changing security environment. The goal is clear – building a modern and mobile Bulgarian army, which has a high combat capability and is operationally compatible with the NATO armies,” the President said.

The Head of State once again reiterated his support for diversification not only in the defense sector, but also in the energy sector, which is a key factor for ensuring the country’s national security. Rosen Plevneliev said that Bulgaria should “firmly support” the idea for establishing a European energy union and voiced his conviction that the country will reconsider its energy policy in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. “The correct response to the economic problems, the growing nationalism and the Ukrainian crisis is more Europe. We must work to ensure a new phase of economic, energy, financial, defense, political and human integration, a stronger European Union. An EU that is capable of effectively counteracting destabilizing actions coming from different directions.  A European Union that will not allow the restoration of the ultra-conservative policies of the Great Powers and the periphery between them,” Rosen Plevneliev said in his speech.

The President added that the Ukrainian crisis showed that it is still possible to change borders in Europe, to provoke conflicts, to destabilize countries and disobey the rule of law and the international legal order. “These events show how important the true relationships between allies based on values is, values such as democracy, respecting the rights and dignity of every citizen, human freedom and the rule of law. However, we also know that the democratic values and national security should not be taken for granted, they are not granted and given for free. Establishing a reliable system of collective defense and building modern military capabilities are extremely important and currently this has become more apparent than at any other time of the transition years,” Rosen Plevneliev further said.

In his address, the Head of State called on for taking care of the soldiers’ and historical monuments on the national level. “The “adopt a monument” initiative should become a nation-wide initiative. The son-like care for the heroes’ monuments does not mean simply paying tribute to the past, it also shows our attitude to the next generations in Bulgaria,” President Rosen Plevneliev said.

Earlier the Head of State attended the consecration ceremony of the military flags and the sacred flags of the Bulgarian army and laid a wreathe at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier.