site.btaDemanded Defence Budget Increase Not an End in Itself - Defence Minister Nenchev

Demanded Defence Budget Increase Not an End in Itself - Defence Minister Nenchev

Sofia, May 19 (BTA) - The demanded defence budget increase is
not an end in itself, but the only way to guarantee national
security, said here on Tuesday Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev
during a conference titled ""Are We Ready to Stand up for Our
Values? The World between Diplomacy and Weapons".

Let it be clear to everyone that the funds, invested in defence,
 are not wasted. They are a stimulus for the economy and for
opening new jobs, the Minister said.

Nenchev explained that he understands the difficult situation of
 the State's finances and the needs of other sectors, adding,
however, that more funds are demanded for defence because of
specific and clear needs - to stop the process of degradation of
 capabilities and to have a highly efficient and respected Army.
 

"The question right now is not whether we share Euro-Atlantic
values, but whether we are ready to truly stand up for them and
defend them," Nenchev said in his speech at the forum. According
 to him, currently it is not enough "to merely state that we
belong to the EU and NATO. We have to prove that we are allies
not just with words but with deeds," he said.

The Minister expressed his views that the crisis in Ukraine is a
 true test of our readiness to defend shared values.

He noted that regardless of what one may want or think, the
hybrid war truly exists in Bulgaria right now and this country
is indirectly affected by it as a result of the crisis in
Ukraine.

According to the Chair of the Institute for Democracy and
Stability in Southeast Europe and former foreign minister,
Nadezhda Neynsky, after some ten years of being a member of NATO
 and eight years of the EU, Bulgaria still does not manage to
sufficiently defend the advantages of its membership in front of
 the public, which intentionally or not, leads to compromising
the choice in certain environments, opens room for nostalgic
voices and the search of dangerous alternatives. The Institute
is co-organizing the forum.

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Gen. Joseph
Ralston stressed Bulgaria's democratic achievements, noting the
importance to look back and re-evaluate how much the Bulgarian
State has achieved over the past years. Former caretaker defence
 minister and NATO expert Velizar Shalamanov noted that the
solidarity is one of the key elements forming the Alliance's
strength. Like Ralston, Shalamanov pointed out the importance
interoperability.