site.btaPresident Urges for Standing By Resolutions of Past Meetings of Consultative Council on National Securityon Refugee Crisis, Armed Forces

President Urges for Standing By Resolutions of Past Meetings of Consultative Council on National Security
on Refugee Crisis, Armed Forces

Sofia, October 4 (BTA) - President Rosen Plevneliev urges for standing by the resolutions of past meetings of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) on the refugee crisis and the armed forces, reads a statement of the President's press secretariat released on Sunday, in response to recent calls to convene a meeting of the CCNS.

On the refugee crisis the President convened a meeting of the CCNS back on November 20, 2013, and its resolutions were taken with full political consensus, the statement says. At the time, the CCNS members concurred that there are risks to the national security, including in humanitarian, health and social aspect. The CCNS required from the Council of Ministers to update the plan for coping with the crisis situation and to report on its implementation periodically. All political parties and the institutions committed to distance themselves from the attempts to jeopardize the ethnic peace in the Bulgaria, the fostering of xenophobia, hatred and social division, as well as to ensure the respective legislative and resources support to the competent institutions. The political parties resolved whereby all institutions actively work in reaching a unified European solution for joint efforts in respect of the migration crisis.

Plevneliev says that CCNS resolutions on this topic are up-to-date. He thanks the political parties for the full political consensus that was achieved, saying that he expects implementation of the resolutions that were made, and not unneeded politicizing of the topic in the run-up to the October 25 local elections.

The statement further says that the head of State convened a meeting of the CCNS on the problems and prospects of the Bulgarian Armed Forces on April 27, 2015. Broad political consensus was reached at the meeting, with the exception of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and Ataka, and three resolutions were passed. The first required from the Council of Ministers to submit to Parliament for discussion and adoption a programme for the development of the defence capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. On the basis of the programme, the cabinet was required to draw up a new plan for the development of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The second decision of the April meeting of the CCNS required from the executive and legislative powers to ensure that the financial outlays for defence in terms of percentage of the Gross Domestic Product are not reduced from their level in 2014, and are gradually increased to 2 per cent of the GDP in the span of ten years, with the exception of 2015, taking into account the unforeseen and extra spending during the year.

The third decision was whereby the future investments in defence capabilities meet NATO standards and seek to increase interoperability, as per the abilities of the country.

As at the present moment, the programme for the development of the defence capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria has been passed by the Council of Ministers and is expected to be submitted to Parliament. Plevneliev calls on the government and the National Assembly to abide by the decision for non-reduction of the defence budget from its 2014 level in the planning and adoption of the 2016 budget, and thus keep it at a minimum of 1.33 per cent of the GDP for the next year. The President also expects abiding by the requirement for future investments in defence capabilities meeting NATO standards.

Plevneliev insists on implementing the resolutions of the CCNS in respect of both the refugee crisis and the problems in the Armed Forces. He calls on the political parties to demonstrate "institutional culture" and stand by already passed CCNS resolutions, and to give up on "superfluous politicizing" about the armed forces and the security sector in general.

The statement says that the head of State will hold talks - as he deems fit - with representatives of the parties in Parliament.