Bulgaria’s President to Schedule Meeting of Nat’l Security Council over Defense Issues

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev will convene a meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security in March over defense issues.

Plevneliev made clear that the meeting would be devoted to the country’s defense policy and the condition of its armed forces.

Bulgaria’s head of state, as cited by dnevnik.bg, condemned the distribution of false allegations aimed at playing upon people’s fears.

He called on the government to update the defense budget to provide more funding for the Defense Ministry.

Plevneliev underscored that it was inadmissible for Bulgaria’s defense spending to decrease at a time of growing security risks.

He said that investments in the sphere of defense resulted in job creation and brought a substantial rate of return.

Plevneliev reminded that a decision envisaging a gradual increase in the defense spending of NATO countries to the rate of 2% of the respective GDP had been adopted at the NATO summit in Wales, adding that the target was politically binding and it was a responsibility of the Bulgarian government to guarantee its implementation.

As regards the NATO coordination center in Sofia, he noted that work on the project had started during the term in office of the socialist-led government of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski.

Bulgaria’s President added that the military trainings scheduled to take place in the country had also been planned during the term in office of the Oresharski government.

He argued that it was only normal for participants in military trainings to bring aircraft, tanks and ships to Bulgaria.

Plevneliev assured that Bulgaria did not plan on attacking any country and a mobilization of the army for the purpose of war was not on the agenda.

He explained that he had not scheduled the meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security at the insistence of political parties, stressing that the Bulgarian army was not to be affected by clashes between political opponents.

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