site.btaMinister Nenchev Hopes Defence Budget Will Be Updated in 2015

Minister Nenchev Hopes Defence Budget Will Be Updated in 2015


Sofia, December 23 (BTA) - Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev
expressed Tuesday a hope that the defence budget would be
updated in 2015. Answering a question, he said: "I hope and
believe that we will manage to accomplish our missions and
training to a large extent and to keep the Bulgarian Armed
Forces in a high fighting spirit."

Nenchev stressed that the defence budget was down by nearly 87
million leva on 2014. The Defence Ministry's revenues, aid and
donations for 2015 are projected at 30,000,000 leva, and its
expenditures at 954,589,000 leva.

Bulgaria's defence budget for 2015 is 1.16 per cent of GDP.
Nenchev said that it was decided at the Wales NATO Summit in
September to gradually increase the defence spending of the NATO
Member States until it reaches 2 per cent of GDP by 2020.

He said recently that if Bulgaria was not a NATO member, its
defence budget would be five times larger, while now its
national defence is part of NATO's defence policy, which
provides additional security.

Asked if a new Force Development Plan is under preparation
because the current one expires in 2014, Nenchev said it could
be ready in January.

Regarding the disposal of unserviceable or surplus ammunition,
Nenchev said it is a priority of the Defence Ministry. He is
concerned that there are large quantities of mines in Gorni Lom
(Northwestern Bulgaria), which must be dismantled as soon as
possible, and that the Armed Services' warehouses also store
surplus ammunition. He said that state-of-the-art detonation
chambers were needed if disposal was to start soon.

On Tuesday, Nenchev held a video conference with the commanders
of the Bulgarian contingents abroad on the eve of the coming
holidays.