site.btaBulgaria Has Received over EUR 203 Mln for Aid to Ukraine under Various EU Mechanisms - Defence Minister
Through various EU mechanisms, Bulgaria has received just over EUR 203 million for aid provided to Ukraine, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters on Thursday. Not all of these funds go to the Bulgarian Army's modernization, because nearly half of them have been used to offset the deficit in the state budget, Stoyanov added.
He was at the Koren training area for a demonstration within the STRIKE BACK 26 tactical exercise with live-fire drills and international participation.
In his words, there has been a fundamental change in how the exercise is conducted. "We see the new systems that have been deployed in our allied armies, and we also see the results of the so-called lessons learned from the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East - drones, new technologies, and more," Minister Stoyanov commented regarding the exercise. According to him, progress in the ground forces regarding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the introduction of new technologies is evident.
Stoyanov also told reporters that an audit of public procurement contracts awarded by the Defence Ministry is currently underway. "We are also attempting to reduce prices on contracts already concluded, to optimize or cut costs, with the aim of supporting the State’s overall budget," he added. "These audits will continue; we have already completed two audits, and a third is currently underway," Minister Stoyanov further said. According to him, audits are also expected for all commercial companies.
On the topic of salaries, the Minister noted that the budget does not allow for continued adequate indexation of military personnel salaries, but this is the financial situation in the country. "We must consider the stability not only of the Bulgarian Army but of every sector of society," he added. Still, there has been significant interest from cadets in the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna, where five people are competing for one position.
/MR/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text