Bulgarian President calls for ‘more Europe’, gradual increase in defence spending. -(The Nato norm of 2% of GDP)

Bulgarian President Rossen Plevneliev has called for a gradual increase in coming years to meet the country’s commitments to Nato and said that the correct answer to economic problems, growing nationalism and the crisis in Ukraine is “more Europe”.

Plevneliev, head of state and also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, was speaking on May 6, which Bulgaria celebrates as army day.

“We are obliged to work for a new phase of economic, energy, financial, defence, political and human integration, a stronger European Union. A European Union, which effectively counters destabilising actions from any direction. A European Union that will not allow a return to the retrograde policies of Great Powers and peripheral countries between them,” Plevneliev said.

He said that Bulgaria must meet its commitments to the Nato alliance by setting defence spending for 2015 of at least 1.5 per cent of GDP and gradually increasing this in coming years to the Nato norm of two per cent........etc.....[sofiaglobe.com]
6/5/14
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Related:

• Hagel calls on NATO allies must step up defense spending. (2% of their GDP)

• Kerry urges NATO members to increase defense budget. --["Freedom isn't free"]

• U.S. reaffirms commitment to collective defense of NATO allies

• L'Otan renforce ses mesures de défense air-mer-terre en Europe orientale. --Further measures to respond to the crisis in Ukraine [Collective Defence]