site.btaPresident Talks about Temporary Homes for Fire-Hit Areas, Air Force's Needs

President Rumen Radev told reporters in Bolyarovo he would suggest to the Interior Ministry that some of the temporary container homes at the refugee centres in Lyubimets and Elhovo in Southern Bulgaria be delivered to blaze-hit areas. He is in Bolyarovo on Saturday to be with people affected by devastating fires.

He said the containers are fully equipped and stressed that all people who lost their homes must be accommodated. "Tension arises if containers are provided to certain people at a time when all need a home," he said.

Bolyarovo Mayor Hristo Hristov also called against politicizing the disaster, saying that temporary homes had been provided to selected residents.

Radev said he had heard many calls for holding a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security. He said the responsibilities of the institutions are spelled out in the Disaster Protection Act and they all should comply with it.

The President, who is Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and a former Air Force commander, said that trained personnel is needed in addition to specialized aircraft. It takes five years to train such a pilot plus another ten years for him to gain experience.

"They urge me to call a meeting of the Consultative Council, and I want to ask how many more meetings I need to hold about the Bulgarian Armed Forces. I have called for attention to people in the Armed Forces, for urgent measures to attract qualified people to the military, which is dwindling at an alarming rate, for their motivation, retention and training. Instead of spending hundreds of millions on new aircraft, let's make sure that a small part of that amount goes to the Air Force for equipment maintenance and, above all, for people," the President said.