site.bta Defence Minister: Defence Budget of 3-3.5% of GDP Should Be Minimum for Modernization

A defence budget of 3%-3.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) should be the minimum limit to ensure the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said after awarding servicemen on the occasion of the Day of Valour and the Bulgarian Armed Forces Day, the Ministry's press centre said on Monday.

"A defence budget of 2% of GDP is not enough, so we will have to convince the State and political leaders and the public that a budget of 3% - 3.5% is the minimum we need to ensure the modernization of our armed forces," the Minister said.

Without motivated personnel the military cannot perform its duty and its constitutional and legal obligations to protect the territorial integrity of this country and contribute to collective defence, Zapryanov said.

"I would like to focus today on honour, dignity, professionalism and duty. When we talk about duty and honour, about morality and dignity, we are referring to servicemen like you who work tirelessly and fulfil their duties in combat training, in carrying out combat duty, in carrying out tasks in operations and in peacetime activities. This gives me the optimism, as Defence Minister, to confidently assure the Government that our Armed Forces are able to fulfil their constitutional duty. For they are patriots, they are true to their oath, they carry out the service with honour and dignity," the Minister told the decorated servicemen.

He said that more and more nations are becoming convinced that peace and the security of states are not a gift, [and] they must be protected.

"The awards that were presented are symbolic, but not symbolic is our recognition, respect and gratitude for your service and for the efforts you make in your daily activities," Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov said.

Eftimov noted that this year's awardees are from all types of armed forces commands and higher military educational institutions. "This is confirmation that the army is a complex mechanism in which we are all interdependent," Eftimov said. "The rearmament and modernization of the Bulgarian Army is underway - a difficult, challenging path that we have been waiting for with high hopes in order to better perform our duties in the complex security environment," the Defence Chief added.

The Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence also thanked the military athletes for the high achievements and the medals won at the World Winter Military Games.

The 2025 defence spending is 2.09% of GDP.