site.btaMinister Expects 2024 Defence Budget to Be 2.05% of GDP

Next year Bulgaria's defence budget is expected to be 2.05% of the country's GDP, which will allow for further development and strengthening of the national defence capacities, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev told journalists on Saturday. According to him, the budget increase will make it possible to sign deals for military equipment. "The government is absolutely clear about the requirements in the field of defence," Tagarev said.

The minister attended a ceremony at Sofia's Central Military Club marking 20 years since a terrorist attack on Camp India in Karbala, Iraq, killed five Bulgarian servicepersons and wounded dozens of others during the Iraq War.

Tagarev praised the feat of the victims and their role in an operation which helped bring the Bulgarian Armed Forces up to date and achieve a higher level of security. He believes that the big challenge after the Russian invasion of Ukraine is to reinforce NATO's eastern flank. This will ensure greater security for Bulgaria in more than one way and will raise the military training level as the country shares in various military exercises.

Discussing the dismantling of the Soviet Army Monument in central Sofia, which began on December 12, the defence minister said: "In my opinion, it was about time the monument was moved out of Sofia." He noted: "It is not a monument really, because there was no war here and no liberation. We must respect every person fighting in any territory, but this is not the case. The structure is a symbol of Russia's supremacy over Bukgaria."

Asked whether he expects Russia to retaliate, Tagarev said: "Russia declared us an enemy a long time ago. I do not see what else can be said. It is not that Bulgaria is seeking enemies. It was Russia that declared NATO - and hence, Bulgaria - an enemy."