Day of Valour and Armed Forces Marked with Blessing of Colours, Military Parade in Sofia

Sofia, May 6 (BTA) - A blessing of the military colours took
place in Sofia on Wednesday on the occasion of the Day of
Valour and St. George's Day, the patron saint of the Bulgarian
army, marked on May 6.

Patriarch Neofit, the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church,
performed the ritual.

President Rosen Plevneliev, who is also Supreme
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, took the salute of an
honorary guard unit and laid a wreath of flowers at the Monument
to the Unknown Soldier.

The Day of Valour was also marked with a traditional military
parade at Prince Alexander I Square in Sofia. A MiG-17
helicopter carrying the national flag opened the parade as
usual.

The head of State congratulated the service members on St
George's Day. After his speech, the national anthem was
performed during the firing of a 20 gun salute.

Addressing the participants in the parade, Plevneliev said: "In
hard times, the people count on their army, and the army backs
its people. It is no accident that the Bulgarian army is always
among the most respected national institutions." The head of
State noted that Bulgaria's renowned army is a symbol of the
Bulgarian statehood. By honouring St George and marking the
professional holiday of the Armed Forces, Bulgarians bow to
their ancestors, who defended the Bulgarian people' right to
national self-determination, as well as to those who died during
the wars and in missions and operations abroad, Plevneliev
said.

He also said that a wide political agreement was reached on the
adoption of a new programme and plan for the development of the
Armed Forces and the launch of priority modernization projects.
As of next year, the resources for defence will grow gradually
to reach 2 per cent of GDP in 2024, he specified.

The future investments in defence should increase sharply
Bulgaria's operative compatibility with its NATO partners, he
noted. In his words, this country's allies and partners have
high trust in the Bulgarian army, which is evident from the high
praise they give to Bulgarian contingents during their
participation in operations and missions abroad. "Today we need
a new doze of modern patriotism as a counterpoint to the extreme
nationalism," Plevneliev said.

Attending the military parade were Defence Minister Nikolay
Nenchev, Defence Chief Vice Admiral Roumen Nikolov, ministers in
the Boyko Borissov government, former defence ministers and
defence chiefs, MPs, high-ranking service members, diplomats,
veterans and citizens.

After the parade, the military wind orchestras performed
traditional Bulgarian military marches at Prince Alexander I
Square.

A solemn changing of the guard in front of the Presidency was
performed at noon. Participating was the first woman to join the
National Guards Unit, Gergana Ivanova.

On the occasion of the Day of Valour and Armed Forces, Prime
Minister Boyko Borissov wrote on his Facebook page that everyone
should be proud of the professionalism and responsibility of
Bulgarian service members, and of how they show character and
courage in support of the international peace and the population
in hard moments. "On May 6 we celebrate one of the most
valuable human qualities - bravery and courage - so on the day
of the Bulgarian army let us bow to and honour the memory of the
valiant Bulgarian warriors who gave their lives for Bulgaria,"
he wrote on Facebook.

The press centre of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) quoted
BSP leader Mihail Mikov as saying: "When we pay well-deserved
homage to the Bulgarian warriors for their readiness to
demonstrate their ancestors' bravery and selflessness, we should
admit that today they deserve more than what they receive from
the motherland." Mikov wrote a congratulatory address on the
occasion of May 6 on his Facebook page.

Ex-president Peter Stoyanov said that the national ideal of
Bulgaria can be achieved through this country's place in the EU
and NATO. He was speaking to journalists after a ceremony
marking the Day of Valour and Armed Forces at the Military Tomb
1916 memorial complex near the village of Shoumentsi
(Northeastern Bulgaria). "I think that through our membership in
the EU and NATO we achieved exactly this: to accept that even
the worse peace is better than the most victorious war," he
said.