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

Bulgarian Chief of Defence calls for increase in military spending

Photo: BGNES

The defence budget should become at least 2.5% of GDP, as 2 percent is not enough, Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov, said in an interview with 24chasa.bg. The compensation Bulgaria receives for the aid to Ukraine will fund the deal to buy the new IRIS-T air defence system.

The advantage of transport corridor No. 8 is the ability for rapid transfer of troops from Italy through Albania and North Macedonia to Bulgaria, the admiral points out and calls for combining the capabilities of NATO and the EU in the construction of the East-West and North-South transport corridors in the Balkans. 

Two bridges on the Danube are extremely insufficient and this is our most critical point, the admiral said. He added that the recent joint operation in the Black Sea with ships from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey was successful, as at least 17 mines were destroyed in July.



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

Primorsko turns into center of sailing and culture

Primorsko is the new seaside capital of sports and culture, the municipality announced. Today, the European Sailing Cup event for the Olympic classes ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 officially starts in the town. The competition, in which 50..

published on 5/23/25 7:05 AM

Temperature reaches up to 29°C on Friday

Friday will be mostly sunny. Cumulus clouds will form in the afternoon and in many places there will be short-term, temporarily intense precipitation - significant in the Danube Plain and Eastern Bulgaria. Temperatures will rise and..

published on 5/22/25 7:05 PM
Atanas Katsarchev

Most foreign workers are employed in tourism, construction and transport

Most foreign workers in Bulgaria are employed in tourism, construction and transport. This information comes from Atanas Katsarchev, chief economist of the "Podkrepa" trade union, who spoke to BNR. He added that, due to the lack of medical personnel,..

published on 5/22/25 6:03 PM