At the NATO defence ministers meeting taking place in Brussels, Bulgarian Minister of Defence Krasimir Karakachanov reconfirmed this country’s commitment to meet the parameters of investments in defence, agreed in Wales in 2014.

Under the plan for increasing defence spending by 2024, adopted by the government, it should reach 2 percent of Bulgaria’s GDP, with 20 percent of this sum being spent on new weaponry, equipment and research. In 2018 defence spending accounted for 1.55 percent of the GDP. Minister Karakachanov met within the frameworks of the forum with the United States Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan. Krasimir Karakachanov and Patrick Shanahan discussed topics related to the project for acquisition of a new fighter aircraft for the Bulgarian Air Forces. At a meeting with Germany’s Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen Minister Karakachanov emphasized Bulgaria’s willingness to intensify relations with Germany in the defense field. The number of joint actions between the Bulgarian and the German armed forces should increase and Germany should participate in the modernization of the Bulgarian Army, Minister Karakachanov said.