NEWS

Rosen Plevneliev: The draft budget for 2013 is balanced, reasonable and fair

President Rosen Plevneliev described as balanced, reasonable and correct the draft 2013 State Budget Act, published yesterday by the Ministry of Finance. Speaking to reporters, the President expressed his satisfaction that the bill provides more funding for defence, education, for the social sphere, and in sectors related to economic development. He said that in 2013 the military would receive a reasonable budget, and people would be motivated.

In the security sector, more than 110 000 people are employed, and in the army, more than 40 000. We have troops, NCOs and junior officers. We cannot and will not accept a small group of people monopolising and manipulating, by their predictions and actions, the plans of the government or mine as Commander-in-Chief, President Plevneliev said, commenting on the upcoming march by military personnel from the Rakovski Legion.

“We are monitoring the situation closely on both sides of the border between Turkey and Syria,” President Plevneliev said regarding tensions between the two countries after five Turkish citizens, including children, were killed by Syrian mortar fire. Bulgaria adheres to the political position of NATO and believes that the problem should be resolved mainly through negotiation and peaceful means, the President said. “We are confident that our partners in Turkey will not be imposing further pressure. No one has an interest in that, and both sides should refrain from further provocations,” the President said. Bulgaria will send medical specialists to refugee camps on the border between Turkey and Syria, he said.

Together with Defence Minister Anyu Angelov and Defence Chief General Simeon Simeonov, the Commander-in-Chief attended the final stage of the command-staff exercise "Lasting Peace - 2012" which was held at Koren field training ground near Haskovo. The President gave top marks to the soldiers involved in the training, describing it as successful. The exercise involves nearly 900 military personnel with weapons and equipment from military formations in Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Asenovgrad, Sliven, Musachevo and Sofia.