site.btaCaretaker Defence Minister Starts Series of Meetings with Servicemen

Caretaker Defence Minister Starts Series of Meetings with Servicemen

Sofia, February 22 (BTA) - Caretaker Defence Minister Stefan Yanev has met with servicemen from the third air base in Graf Ignatievo and from the 61st mechanized brigade in Karlovo, both near the southern city of Plovdiv. This marked the start of a series of meetings Yanev will have with personnel from the Bulgarian Armed Forces to discuss current problems in the army, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.

The servicemen from Graf Ignatievo spoke about the shortage of working engines, units and spare parts for the MiG 29 jet fighters, and other grievances such as the shortage of personnel, obsolete vehicles in the air base, shortcomings in the legal framework connected to staff housing.

In Graf Ignatievo Yanev watched planned training jet fighter flights.

The participants in the meeting in Karlovo said that their main problems were the shortage of spare parts for the equipment, the outfitting of servicemen and again the shortage of staff. Yanev said he was aware that one of the main causes for the shortage of army staff is the low pay. In his words, for eight years now the armed forces have been "seriously under-financed". Noting that the caretaker government does not have legislative powers to change the situation, Yanev said that reserves will be sought for even a small increase of salaries.