President Iotova: Work Must Continue on European Commission Approved SAFE Instrument Projects, Essential for Bulgarian Army

Risida Dimitrova, Desislava Peeva

President Iliana Iotova attends the Annual Conference of the Chief of Defence, Sofia, February 24, 2026 (BTA Photo/Minko Chernev)

Sofia,

24.02.2026 12:42

(BTA)

Work must continue on the projects already approved by the European Commission under the SAFE instrument, as they are essential for the Bulgarian Army. We need to see whether and how we can tackle the stages ahead, because it will not be easy, President Iliana Iotova told journalists on Tuesday.

Iotova attended the Annual Conference of the Chief of Defence. This year’s theme is the development of the armed forces through the prism of national and allied commitments. The conference began with a closed-door presentation of the analysis of the status and readiness of the Bulgarian Armed Forces in 2025.

Iotova noted that SAFE (Security Action for Europe), the new financial instrument of the EU, concerns a loan and that the reasonable consent of the other institutions is extremely important. "I have my reservations, I believed that our defence industry should have had a larger share and greater participation, rather than projects being drawn from the register of the European Defence Agency. That decision has already been made, and now we must find the best way to implement it," she added.

Iotova also commented on the defence analysis, describing it as an in-depth review and, in some respects, highly critical. "Today, it is a snapshot of the situation and of the most pressing problems, regardless of the fact that we have a caretaker government and elections are forthcoming," she said. Processes for the modernization of the army have begun, but the necessary infrastructure to support the new equipment must also be built, Iotova added.

Iotova thanked the Bulgarian contingents participating in multinational forces, as well as those involved in tackling wildfires and floods.

Iotova also talked about the army budget, noting that progress has been made in the financing of the army in 2025, "but this is still not enough, as it still does not create the attraction force we would like it to have. The armed forces are still not fully staffed, but we have been assured that work is being done in this direction," she added. If there is a second budget extension, this trend must continue, and the funds and conditions must be found to conclude the contracts so that the SAFE mechanism projects can get underway, Iotova added.

/RY/