site.btaBulgaria Running Late with Armed Forces Modernization - President Radev

Shabla, on the Black Sea, July 18 (BTA) - Bulgaria is definitely running late with the modernization of its armed forces, especially compared to its allies in the region, said here on Tuesday President Rumen Radev during the Shabla 2017 international military exercise.

Radev said that this year Romania has reached 2 per cent of GDP on defence, while this has happened a long time ago in Greece. "If we do not organize ourselves on time and do not implement the projects for modernization, we will find ourselves at the bottom of NATO in terms of defence spending," the President said. According to him, Bulgaria cannot wait any longer to increase its defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP, because its armed forces have long been at the critical minimum.

The President further noted that one of the most important elements of Bulgaria's defence capabilities is the training of personnel. According to him, such training cannot be a residual product of the defence budget and must be guaranteed. The most important element in the defence system are the people, he added. Military servicemen and civilian personnel must be clear about their perspectives for professional growth and social status, Radev said.

The President said the exercise was conducted in a very dynamic and complicated situation and assessed it very highly.