Bulgaria to Pledge Army Budget Hike at NATO Summit

Bulgaria will make a commitment to increase army funding from 1.33% to 1.5% of the GDP, seeking to reach 2% of the GDP by 2020, according to President Rosen Plevneliev.

Plevneliev commented on the upcoming NATO summit to be held in Wales on September 4-5. Bulgaria’s head of state noted that the other NATO countries were expected to make the same financial commitment.

“We have to realize that it is not fair on our part to cut the military budget and to expect that somebody will come to defend us when the situation becomes difficult or critical. Bulgaria needs to make a contribution to stability and security too, using its skills and capabilities, and to invest in them,” Plevneliev declared in Brussels, according to the President’s press office.