site.btaDefence Minister Participates in NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov took part in the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels on Thursday. The forum was dedicated to preparing for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague on June 24 and 25.

The ministers adopted new capability targets for 2025, which set much higher requirements for the armed forces of member states. The package includes requirements for the resources, forces and capabilities that each ally must build to be able to respond to significantly increased threats, within the framework of collective defence. Meeting these objectives requires an urgent approach and a significant increase in defence spending as well as an increase in industrial capacity.

In this regard, ministers agreed in principle on the urgent need to increase investment in defence as well as in defence-related areas such as sustainability, infrastructure, defence industry, etc. A key priority for the meeting in The Hague will be the adoption of a new Defence Investment Plan.

Zapryanov emphasized the new capabilities goals, the need for technological progress and increasing the capacity of defence industrial production. "Bulgaria will integrate the new set of Goals into national defence planning. We plan to conduct a strategic review of the armed forces to identify the necessary changes we need to implement," he said.

Within the framework of the forum, Zapryanov held a trilateral meeting with the defence ministers of Turkiye and Romania to discuss matters related to military cooperation as well as issues on the Alliance's agenda.

Zapryanov also took part in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels on Wednesday. He reaffirmed Bulgaria's commitment to the efforts of the international community to continue supporting Ukraine. Zapryanov welcomed the efforts of the new US administration to find a peaceful solution to the war.