site.btaDeputy PM Karadjov: Strong Army and Defence Industry Are Essential for Strong State

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov believes that a strong army and defence industry are essential for a strong state. "Today, more than ever, our position is and must continue to be firm - a strong state cannot exist without a strong army and a modern and competitive defence industry," he said in his remarks at an international conference titled New Realities in Foreign Policy, Defence and the Defence Industry in Sofia on Tuesday. 

"The time for illusions in international politics is over. Today, security is a true but also very fragile necessity. Nevertheless, the threats are close by, manifold and very persistent. Russian aggression in Ukraine has shattered the last illusions that security in Europe can be built on compromises with autocratic regimes nearby," Karadjov added.

“Bulgaria views its defence capabilities not simply as technical skills and abilities, as personnel capacity, but above all as a national priority of the highest level,” the minister said.

"This is a war not only against one country - Ukraine, but against the principles of international law, against the principles on which we have built the EU and NATO," Grozdan Karadjov also said. “Bulgaria supports Ukraine because it supports peace, security and freedom, and will continue to do so through political and diplomatic means, providing timely military and technical assistance,” he added.

"We know that the war will end, but this will not solve the problem of instability, and that is why we are obliged to think strategically. NATO is our only guarantor of security, but we must be an active and full participant," Karadjov said.

"Bulgaria supports its commitment for a higher defence budget not because it is an obligation, not because the EU said so, and not because NATO wants it. We are convinced because it is necessary for the Bulgarian army. It’s not weapons for NATO that we are buying, they are weapons for the Bulgarian army. We need to adhere to the already established 2.5-3% of the Gross Domestic Product for defence spending, because this is a must for the modern army. We can no longer make compromises with the capabilities of our army," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

In his words, modernization is not an end in itself, but an investment in the authority of the state, trust in the institutions and the commitment to the country's allies.

"The Bulgarian position in Brussels is clear and active. We support the establishment of European mechanisms for financing defence. We are using the new opportunity, which was a Bulgarian idea, for the so-called budget buffer. We do not want to limit other important public spheres at the expense of increasing defence spending. Bulgaria needs an industry that not only produces, but also exports, creates jobs and invests in technology," Karadjov said.

The Center for Development and Policies organized the international conference dedicated to the influence of changes in foreign policy and the effect of these changes on the processes affecting the development of the economy and defence. The conference brought together representatives of the state and political leadership of the Republic of Bulgaria, leading politicians from the European Union and NATO, scientists and practitioners from the academic and research community, as well as experts from the military industry and investment companies. The new realities in foreign policy and their impact on the economy and defence of Bulgaria, Europe and the world were the main topics of discussion at the conference.