The introduction and development of the so called "smart defense" should be used as an excuse to downsize military budgets, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Claudio Bisogniero declared in a lecture in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

NATO's smart defense initiative is supposed to build up capabilities through multinational approaches," Bisogniero stated further in Sofia, as cited by BNR and BGNES.

He stressed that smart defense would work only if all NATO member states act together.

According to the deputy head of NATO, defense budgets will likely see further reductions because of the economic crisis but they should be apportioned more rationally rather than being reduced.

Bisogniero explained that NATO's Smart Defense initiative focuses on projects in five fields: development and organization of armed forces; acquisition of equipment and technologies; military missions and support; military training; innovative solutions.

He emphasized that Bulgaria's is interested in many of NATO's Smart Defense projects.

According to Bulgaria's Deputy Defense Minister Avgustina Tsvetkova, Bulgaria is taking part in 6 of the 14 Smart Defense projects but has a leading role in only one project entitled "The role of women at leadership positions in security and defense."

Bulgaria is also part of the project for creating a Center for Research and Development of NATO's Capabilities for crisis response that will be located in Bulgaria's Charalitsa.

"Bulgaria supports NATO's Smart Defense initiative and is ready to part in projects for the boost of capabilities through multinational and innovative approaches," Bulgaria's Defense Minister Anyu Angelov declared in turn after meeting with the deputy chief of NATO.

"It is crucial for us in the time of economic crisis to focus our efforts on specific and realistic projects," Gen. Angelov added.

Bisogniero has praised Bulgaria's joint Air Policing agreements with Greece and Romania within NATO's integrated air defense system NATINADS as working examples of NATO's Smart Defense approaches.