“Salaries in the army will not be raised before the end of the year. The discussions on next year's budget will show whether a raise is possible and by how much,” Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov stated. Minister Karakachanov is in Varna to attend the ceremony at which 13 cadets from the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy were granted officer status.

Minister Karakachanov stated that the negotiations with the Ministry of Finance on a raise in army salaries had reached an advanced stage and added:
“There are quite a few unused reserves at the Defence Ministry. Money has been flowing out absolutely needlessly, at the same time there is no money coming in from activities that could generate actual revenue. When we show that we too are capable of making a profit for the budget, then we would have even better reason to ask for a raise in salaries and no one would refuse us,” Minister Karakachanov said. 
“There are activities, connected with the renovation of Terem military-repair factories which are not in good financial shape at this time,” he added. “But we shall not close them down. In the tender all bidders will be afforded equal treatment, but I myself would prefer to see Bulgarian companies, private or state-run from the military industrial complex, given priority in projects for the modernization of the army.”

Personnel training is a priority for the Ministry of Defence this year.