site.bta Urgent Rearmament Sparks Closer Ties Between European Defence Industries, Says Bulgarian Minister

The urgent need for rearmament in Europe sends a clear message of a new phase of cooperation among European countries in the field of defence, said Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov on Wednesday during the signing of a memorandum to improve interaction between the Bulgarian defence industry and the executive authorities.

"Our efforts are focused on urgent investments in the defence capabilities of the Bulgarian Army and the industrial capacity of our defence industry, with the goal of ensuring the security of the country and of Europe. A transition is being initiated from an approach oriented towards identifying and planning European defence capabilities, to an approach aimed at achieving concrete results through the implementation of joint projects and programs for the rearmament of European countries," the Minister explained. 

In this process, special attention is given to the participation of the European defence industry, stimulating production capabilities and increasing Europe’s industrial capacity while reducing fragmentation of the European defence industry and potential within a short timeframe. Therefore, the question of Bulgaria’s place in European defence as a border country on the Eastern flank is becoming increasingly significant, as well as maximizing the use of new opportunities and measures set out in Europe's White Paper on Defence Readiness 2030, along with the available European mechanisms and instruments in the field of defence, Zapryanov commented.

"The main focus of the Ministry of Defence is placed on opportunities to accelerate the rearmament and modernization of the Bulgarian Army and the implementation of national plans to build the necessary defence capabilities. We fully support the integration of the Bulgarian defence industry into the rearmament of both our army and the armies of EU member states," the Minister added.

The Minister believes that now is the right moment for modernization and for outlining directions for specialization and development of the capacity of the Bulgarian industry.