site.btaBulgarian PM, Rheinmetall CEO Papperger Discuss Progress in Joint Gunpowder Plant Project

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov met with Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger on Friday, the Government Information Service reported. The sides reviewed the progress achieved under the strategic  agreement to build a gunpowder and ammunition factory in Bulgaria, signed in October 2025.

Zhelyazkov said that his government views the joint venture between Bulgaria’s VMZ and the German automotive and arms manufacturer as a strategic European project and a guarantee of the long-term competitiveness of the Bulgarian defence industry. 

The strategic partnership between the Bulgarian State and Rheinmetall changes the future of Bulgaria's defence industry by broadening the portfolio, modernization of the production, and creation of jobs. The plant is a strategic investment with lasting positive effects on security and economic stability in Bulgaria, in the Balkans, and Europe. By broadening the EU's capacity in the field of explosives and ammunition, the project will improve Bulgaria's capability to support the EU's and NATO's forces on Bulgarian territory and along the Alliance's eastern flank. The plant will also allow a sustainable and predictable contribution to security in Ukraine, in correspondence with EU and Alliance commitments.

Papperger expressed satisfaction with the fast progress and high level of cooperation with the Bulgarian side.

Bulgaria's outgoing Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, and Chief of Defence Emil Eftimov also attended the meeting.

Speaking to journalists in Munich, Zhelyazkov explained that the partnership with Rheinmetall for establishing a joint enterprise in Bulgaria has been confirmed. The Bulgarian plant will manufacture products that will be purchased by the joint venture, and the project also includes cooperation with other leading Bulgarian manufacturers. Zhelyazkov stressed that the goal is not only a public-private partnership, but business-to-business cooperation, with the State creating the conditions for the successful implementation of the investment and the development of industrial and defense capacities.