Bulgaria to pay $500 000 towards support for Afghan National Army
Bulgaria’s Cabinet approved on April 27 a contribution by the country of $500 000 towards the trust fund for the maintenance of the Afghan National Army (ANA).
Bulgaria would continue its participation in the actions of the international community to achieve lasting security and stability in Afghanistan, and one way of doing this was to financially support the capabilities of the ANA, a statement after the Cabinet meeting said.
The government decided that Bulgaria’s contribution to the trust fund for the maintenance of the ANA would be $500 000 for the new three-year period from 2018 to 2020. The funds would be provided in 2018.
The amount was similar to that of the first three-year period, from 2015 to 2017, which Bulgaria paid to the trust fund in autumn 2015, the statement said.
At the centre of the lasting partnership between Nato and Afghanistan was the political and practical commitment undertaken to building and maintaining reliable Afghan security forces capable of taking responsibility for the security of the population throughout the country, which contributed to preserving the achievements of the past 15 years, the government said.
Ensuring security and stability in Afghanistan would have a positive impact on the conditions causing a flow of migrants from that country to Europe and reduce migratory pressure on EU countries, the statement said.
(Photo of an Afghan National Army parade: US Air Force)
