site.btaDefence Minister Zapryanov to Join Colleagues at NATO, EU Meetings

Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov will take part in a Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence and in an extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence), which will be held in Brussels on October 15, Zapryanov's Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.

The NATO ministers will discuss the implementation of the crucial decisions related to the defence and deterrence capabilities of the Alliance adopted at The Hague Summit in July 2025. A number of key issues on NATO's agenda will be considered as well, such as the increased defence spending commitments assumed in The Hague, the long-term political and practical support for Ukraine, and a coordinated response to hybrid threats facing NATO.

Zapryanov will also attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), initiated by UK Defence Secretary John Healey and German Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The participants in the meeting will discuss the priorities for Ukraine in the context of the ongoing support for that country. 

The agenda of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) will include the new security-building initiatives for the Member States on the EU eastern border, setting up a drone defence and stepping up process for building defence capabilities in support of boosting the Union's defence capacity, the press release says.