Rosen Plevneliev Criticizes the Tight Defense Budget

Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev criticized the tightening of the country's defense budget and urged for its immediate increase. 

“The country must increase its defense budget to at least 1.5% of GDP and to bring it back to the 2%, which we had before the start of the economic downturn,” Plevneliev said after his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. 

According to Plevneliev, the country must invest in its defense abilities and seek diversification of the weapons and equipment deliveries. 

“I would be glad if diversification is the main criterion in the next purchases,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's daily newspaper Trud reported, that the Russian aviation company RKS MiG would continue its maintenance of Bulgaria's MiG fighter jets and would offer to sell new fighters MiG-29M2. 

According to the newspaper, a new MiG-29M2 costs EUR 35 M, but there is an option for buying back of the old fighters, which would lower the price to EUR 29 M.