site.btaParliament Passes Conclusively Bill to Ratify MoU between Defence Ministry, NATO Communications and Information Agency

The National Assembly passed at first and second reading a bill to ratify a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defence and NATO Communications and Information Agency regarding cooperation in C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Military Intelligence), signed by Bulgaria on April 28, 2025, in Sofia, and by the NATO Agency on May 12, 2025, in Brussels.

Parliamentary Defence Committee Chair Hristo Gadzhev recalled that, at a sitting held in July 2025, the Committee reviewed the draft law, with the proposal and its explanatory notes presented by Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov.

Gadzhev said that it is essential for the Defence Ministry to continue joint activities with the NATO Communications and Information Agency. Establishing a legal framework for ongoing cooperation is necessary to enable technological upgrades to command-and-control systems of the armed forces and radar systems monitoring air and maritime space, provision of operational and tactical software and data communication lines, initiation of cyber defence projects, and modernization of the entire information technology sector, he explained.

The memorandum serves as a framework agreement under which individual agreements are concluded for the provision of services and the acquisition of equipment through the agency (technical agreements, service and maintenance agreements, etc.). Continuing this productive cooperation will allow Bulgaria to expand and enhance its capabilities in communications and information systems according to Alliance standards and will help establish a solid foundation for bilateral relations.