Bulgarian President Calls for Higher Defense Budget

Bulgaria's budget for defense is not sufficient, believes the country's President Rosen Plevneliev.

"Substantial additional funds will be needed for the Ministry of Defense's budget in order to conduct the modernization of the army. As it stands, the resources are not enough", Plevneliev commented during a ceremony to promote a number of high-ranking military officials.

What the President was referring to was recent recommendations by NATO, urging Bulgaria to modernize its army in terms of equipment.

Plevneliev added that the country's military budget is progressively decreasing as a share of the overall GDP, a trend which he believes is not in line with the current security situation in the region.

The Bulgarian army is currently implementing personnel cuts, with some 1,300 of its staff expected to be laid off by the end of 2014.

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