site.btaDefence Minister Zapryanov to Attend EU Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Copenhagen

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov will attend an informal meeting of European Union defence ministers in Copenhagen later in the day, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday. The event is part of Denmark’s EU Council presidency programme.

During the Danish EU Council presidency, defence ministers will meet informally to discuss the European Union’s military support for Ukraine, the bloc’s defence readiness, including progress on priorities in the White Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030 and the European Re-armament Plan, and the status of military missions and operations under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann have been invited to participate in the discussions.

In May, EU defence ministers expressed preliminary interest in joint projects to acquire priority capabilities during a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, according to the Ministry of Defence. Zapryanov attended the meeting, while his Ukrainian counterpart participated via videoconference. The agenda focused on military support for Ukraine and the Union’s defence preparedness, specifically addressing proposals from the White Paper on ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030.