Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

PM Denkov pledges 2% of GDP for defence in 2024

| updated on 6/30/23 8:46 AM
Nikolay Denkov (L) and Jens Stoltenberg, Brussels, 29 June, 2023
Photo: EPA/BGNES

At a meeting in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said Bulgaria’s defence spending for 2023 would be slightly under 1.9% of the GDP, and will reach 2%, as required by the EU, in 2024.

“Your country plays an important role in our collective response. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Bulgaria has participated actively in NATO’s deterrence and defence in the Black Sea region,” Jens Stoltenberg on his part said. “You host one of NATO’s multinational battlegroups, led by Italy. And your naval forces help to secure the Black Sea, as part of NATO patrols. In the Western Balkans, Bulgarian troops play a key role in our KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. (…) All of these contributions to the Alliance are valued and appreciated. To keep Bulgaria safe, NATO continues to provide strong deterrence and defence in your region. On land, at sea, and in the air. NATO will continue to support and defend Bulgaria. (…) We have also agreed a new rotational model for air and missile defence. So that we can move quickly from air policing to air defence, if needed,” Jens Stoltenberg said, and added “…I count on Bulgaria to commit to the more ambitious defence investment pledge that we will agree at the Summit.”



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Temperatures decrease slightly, rain expected in the western regions

On Wednesday , the lowest temperatures will be between 7 and 12°C. In Sofia it will be around 8°C. Before noon it will be sunny. In the afternoon, rainy clouds will develop over the western massifs and there will be short-term rain..

published on 4/22/25 6:55 PM

Commission to assess revisions to Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan 

The European Commission has announced that it has received a request from Bulgaria to revise its national recovery and resilience plan. The Commission will examine the request, submitted by the country on 16 April, and forward it to the EU Council for..

published on 4/22/25 6:15 PM
Borislav Gutsanov

Public sector salaries cannot be increased by more than 5%, says Social Affairs Minister

The state cannot afford to increase public sector salaries by 10% this year, as demanded by trade unions. This was stated by Social Affairs Minister Borislav Gutsanov. The minister pointed out that taxes had not been changed, while pensions had been..

published on 4/22/25 6:00 PM