site.bta Bulgarian President in Bucharest: "Let Us Invest More in Country's Defence Capabilities"

Bulgarian President in Bucharest: "Let Us Invest More in Country's Defence Capabilities"

Bucharest, November 4 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Rosen
Plevneliev Wednesday participated in a regional meeting of nine
NATO Heads of State and Government from Central and Eastern
Europe in Bucharest, Plevneliev's press secretariat said.

"The security environment is worsening, the number of crises is
increasing, the situation is becoming ever more unpredictable.
At this difficult moment, all of us - united and unified - will
work for the solving of the crises around us," Plevneliev said
after the meeting. The declaration adopted unanimously by the
NATO member countries from Central and Eastern Europe sends a
very strong message for unity, he summarized the meeting's
results.

"NATO's Readiness Action Plan adopted at the Wales Summit [in
2014] is the basis on which we step so as to adapt to the
changed security environment. Bulgaria is an active NATO member,
 we marked many measures and we are implementing them,"
Plevneliev told the Bulgarian media in Bucharest.
  
He expressed Bulgaria's firm support for NATO's "open door
policy". "I expect it to find its realization soon and
Montenegro to be invited to join the Alliance this December," he
 stated.

The participants in the meeting from NATO's eastern flank
confirmed their commitment to increase gradually their budgets
for defence, in accordance with the decisions taken in Wales.
"Some countries are already close to the implementation of the
commitment to provide 2 per cent of GDP for defence. Bulgaria
has to make up for its delay. If we want the Alliance to back us
 with its defence mechanisms, we too should contribute to the
collective security," the head of State said.
 
Plevneliev expressed content with the proposed resources for
defence - 1.35 per cent of GDP - in the draft national budget
for 2016. "The proposed budget for defence meets the responsible
 decision taken by the Consultative Council on National
Security. All political parties, excluding the Bulgarian
Socialist Party and Ataka, supported the commitment made to the
partners from NATO but also the idea that we should, above all,
show commitment to the national security. This means increasing
the budget for defence. When the security environment is
unstable, people feel this instability. We should take measures
and invest in the defence capabilities of the country and our
army. I  welcome the increase of the budget for defence but this
 is only a first step in the right direction," Plevneliev
commented in Bucharest.