"The Bulgarian army is currently 5,600 soldiers short. One of the reasons is the low starting salary of 608 Leva a month," said Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov. In his words the most serious problem is that around 30-40 percent of the people applying for professional soldiers are unfit for reasons of health or education.
He added that before a conscription army can be reinstated, for which he says he will be supported by GERB party, the number of military education classes at school must be increased and voluntary service introduced.
Karakachanov says further that the EU is not ready to set up a single defence structure, an idea Bulgaria supports:
"Bulgaria is in favour of the formation of such a defence structure but that is a process. Seeing as we have NATO, this compatibility must be looked into, how a European defence will fit into the picture. There are European countries which are not members of NATO. There are European countries which are more skeptical, others are more enthusiastic like France and Germany."
Bulgarian Sunday School "ABV" in Finland has announced the creation of a new online Bulgarian language course for foreigners. The publication on the official website of the educational center reads that the 45-minute classes in the..
The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office is conducting pre-trial proceedings regarding the contract between Bulgargaz and the Turkish state-owned gas company Botas, the prosecutor's office's press center announced. Actions are being taken..
Full EU membership is neither the end of the story nor a solution to all problems. Realism and accurate self-assessment must guide important decisions, said MP Toma Bikov on behalf of the GERB-SDS parliamentary group after Bulgaria's accession to the..
The EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) has allowed Bulgaria and 14 other EU countries to exceed their budget limits in order to boost..
Full EU membership is neither the end of the story nor a solution to all problems. Realism and accurate self-assessment must guide important decisions,..
Tuition fees at state universities should not exceed 75% of the expenses for the training. This was what MPs decided with amendments to..
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