site.btaEuropean Defence Consolidation Discussed at Conference Co-organized by Polish Embassy in Bulgaria

A conference dubbed “Consolidating the European Defence Industry: Opportunities and Challenges” was held in Veliko Tarnovo on Tuesday. It was organized by the Polish Embassy in Bulgaria (Poland holds the rotating EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2025), the European Commission Representation in Sofia and the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo under the auspices of Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev.

Donchev said the Bulgarian defence industry must have the capacity to produce ammunition for all systems functioning in the Bulgarian Armed Forces. He commented to journalists that it is Europe’s overriding priority to take care of its security on its own, and there are enough resources for the purpose, both from the national budgets and at the European level.

“If money is invested wisely, it can create new scenarios for the industry,” Donchev said, adding that the defence sector can sell products for civilian use as well as the armed forces. “Investments should generate the maximum effect for the economy,” he reasoned. According to Donchev, gunpowder plants will be built in Bulgaria in the coming years, possibly on private investments. Talks are underway to pick an investor. Alternatively, it can be a state-owned factory, he added.

“Regardless of what happens on the geopolitical scene, Bulgaria will have to invest billions in the defence industry in the coming years,” the Deputy PM said. “My personal priority in the next year and a half is to ensure that Bulgaria can manufacture drones on a massive scale, both for military and civilian uses.”

The EU “cannot afford to have producer states and consumer states, or economic deserts” within the bloc, Donchev argued.

He believes that Bulgarian towns along Pan-European Corridor 9, including Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Gabrovo, Kazanlak, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora, have every chance to form the industrial backbone of the country, including for the defence industry.