NEWS

The Technological Modernization will Preserve NATO as the Most Efficient and Capable Military Alliance

The forthcoming NATO summit in September in Wales should focus on the efficiency, solidarity and readiness of the Alliance to react in times of crises. This is what the presidents of the NATO member states from Central and Eastern Europe agreed on at a working meeting held in Warsaw. The Heads of State of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic are taking part in the forum.

“The events unfolding in Ukraine proved that peace and security in Europe cannot be taken for granted,” President Rosen Plevneliev emphasized at the meeting. In the Head of State’s opinion, the member states of the Alliance should remain united and determined so as to avoid a further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. The proposals President Plevneliev made involve increasing the NATO forces in the region of Southeast Europe and the Black Sea, conducting more joint military exercises in Bulgaria, and the more active utilization of the joint military facilities in Bulgaria.

The participants in the meeting shared the opinion that technological modernization is of key importance for preserving NATO as the most efficient and capable military alliance in the world. This means that at least two percent of the countries’ GDP should be allocated to the needs of defense, and 20 percent of the military budget allocations should be envisaged for capital spending and modernization. Rosen Plevneliev emphasized that our country will fulfill the commitments assumed in the White Book of Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria for gradually increasing the spending on defense up to 1.5 percent of the GDP until 2015 and a follow-up increase worth 0.1 percent a year until it reaches the envisaged limit of two percent. Also a level of capital spending worth 15 percent of the defense budget will be reached.

It was further pointed out at the meeting that the “intelligent defense” and “connected forces” initiatives provide a new opportunity for the NATO member states to seek an adequate response to the challenges security is facing by means of cooperation despite the limited financial resources available. Bulgaria is still considering the opportunities for maintaining multi-role fighters and training pilots together with other partners from Southeast Europe, Rosen Plevneliev pointed out.

The prompt preparation of a common NATO readiness action plan as well as the individual countries’ approval of plans for action in extraordinary situations are important steps towards strengthening the common security, Rosen Plevneliev further emphasized. Bulgaria is already working together with Romania to reach such an agreement, which will encourage integration and strengthen the defense capabilities of the two counties. A NATO Center for managing crises and disaster response is due to receive accreditation in Bulgaria. The President voiced his gratitude to Poland and Greece for taking part in the project and called on the rest of the countries to join. The President highlighted cyber-security and defense as sectors in which Bulgaria should put in more efforts.

The Head of State said he supported the idea of further pursuing NATO’s “open doors” policy, which strengthens partnership. He also supports the willingness of the candidate member states to conduct reforms. In Rosen Plevneliev’s opinion, NATO should set a clear temporal framework for Montenegro’s future NATO accession.

Transatlantic partnership lies at the basis of efficient military cooperation in NATO, it was further emphasized at the meeting. A joint support was expressed for President Barack Obama’s readiness declared in June for the United States to invest 1 billion US$ to increase the defense capabilities of the East European partners, to deploy additional forces and take part in military exercises, as well as to encourage the development of the defense potential of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

In his statement made at the forum, the Bulgarian Head of State reiterated the necessity to achieve more cohesion between the energy systems of the East European countries and diversification of the sources of energy resources. Our country will complete the construction of inter-connectors with the gas-transit systems of its neighbors, which will have a positive impact on strengthening the energy security in Southeast Europe. The Heads of State expressed their support for a trans-Adriatic gas pipeline, and also for the creation of a south-north gas corridor. The participants shared the opinion that the establishment of a European energy union and a unified mechanism for purchasing energy resources will allow the differences in payment to be overcome and will unite the resources, infrastructures and opportunities to exert an impact on the negotiations conducted by the European countries.

The results of NATO’s peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan and Libya were also discussed during the meeting. President Plevneliev confirmed our country’s commitment to ensuring the security of the airport in Kandahar, which is in line with the Alliance’s strategy to gradually withdraw the military contingents within ISAF. “After 2014 Bulgaria will take part in the “Decisive Support” mission and will contribute to building the military capabilities of Afghanistan’s army,” the Head of State emphasized. The negotiations between Bulgaria and the United States and Libya on the training of Libyan servicemen in the Bulgarian training center in Novo Selo are going on, the President further said.

The Head of State Rosen Plevneliev supports the position voiced by the presidents taking part in the meeting in Warsaw to have “an international commission fully clarify the circumstances related to the tragedy with the Malaysian airplane. Representatives of all countries concerned will participate in the commission. Unlimited access to the site, evidence and witnesses of the tragedy should be provided, and the safety of the work of the commission and services on the territory where the accident occurred should be ensured.” The presidents also discussed the military actions against civilians, voiced their protest against any form of support for terror acts and called on for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.