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Bulgaria's top consultative body calls for increasing defense spending

Xinhua, April 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Bulgaria's Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) on Monday called for greater defense spending and modernizing of the country's army according to NATO standards, amid the "deterioration of the security environment."

The CCNS met to discuss the development of the country's armed forces. After the meeting, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said the council's position was that "there has been a permanent and long-term deterioration of the security environment in close proximity to our borders."

Negative trends that affect national security have continued, said Plevneliev, who presented the CCNS position, which saw input from the country's key political and institutional leaders.

The deepening of existing conflicts and crises, and the emergence of new ones, requires the development of adequate defense capabilities of the Bulgarian army and maintaining a respective degree of readiness, Plevneliev said.

CCNS, with the exception of the opposition Socialist Party and Ataka Party, which were not part of it's decisions on Monday, supported the principle of non-reduction of the defense budget as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) level of 2014 and gradually increase to reach 2 percent of GDP within a decade, Plevneliev said.

The council also recommended the country adopt a program to develop armed forces defense capabilities, as well as the forces themselves. Future investments in these areas should meet NATO standards, and be aimed at increasing interoperability with allies in accordance with the possibilities of the state, Plevneliev said while citing CCNS recommendations.

Last year, the Bulgarian defense budget was 1.3 percent of GDP, and the country, a former member of the Warsaw Treaty, still heavily relies on Soviet-made weapons.

In January, after talks with visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Plevneliev said Bulgaria, a NATO member since 2004, wanted to reduce its arms dependence on Russia and increase interoperability with the alliance. Endit