site.btaPresident Radev, Defence Minister Karakachanov Attend Celebrations Marking 138th Anniversary of Bulgarian Navy

Varna, on the Black Sea, August 13 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev, Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov, Chief of Defence Lt. Gen. Andrei Botsev, top brass, veterans and members of the public attended Saturday here the celebrations of the 138th anniversary of the creation of the Bulgarian Navy.

Commenting the judicial reform to reporters later in the day, Radev said that the magistrates must be independent but not "untouchable". The President said that the new Judicial Power Act in no way limits the rights of magistrates. "The fact that they are to declare their membership in organizations does not mean that they are banned from such memberships. Rather, this is in the spirit of practising of this very important occupation," the President said.

Commenting the suggestion about having a single anti-corruption body, the Head of State said that the "rumours about an agreement between him and the Prime Minister in respect of passage of the bill do not correspond to the truth." "We have consensus in respect of only one thing, that the Corruption Directorate is to leave the remit of the executive power," Radev said, adding that the bill in its present shape: a mechanical sum of so far ineffective units, will not solve the problems with the "corrupt model of governance". The President called for a new, single and independent body to close the circle information-alert-investigation-pressing of charges.

During the celebrations on Sunday Karakachanov attended a rank-awarding ceremony to graduates of the Higher Naval School in Varna. Karakachanov said that 90 million leva are needed for the modernization of the Navy. The Defence Minister said that the project for the modernization of the Navy has been accepted by the Defence Council and is now tabled for approval by the Council of Ministers. Karakachanov said that active work is under way to increase the pay of the military and that the exercises conducted this year have shown that notwithstanding the insufficient resources, the Bulgarian military are very well trained.