site.bta 12th International Defence Equipment Exhibition HEMUS 2016 Opens in Plovdiv

12th International Defence Equipment Exhibition HEMUS 2016 Opens in Plovdiv

Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria, May 25 (BTA) - Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev opened the 12th International Defence Equipment Exhibition HEMUS 2016 here on Wednesday. The event will be on until May 28.

"The present exhibition focuses on building new defence capabilities, a successful implementation of the modernization projects and acquisition of new types of armament and materiel," Nenchev said.

"Sixty-three companies and organizations take part in HEMUS 2016: 41 Bulgarian ones and 22 ones from countries on three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa," Deputy Defence Minister Orhan Ismailov told a news conference before the formal opening. He specified that participants from China and Japan are represented for the first time, which substantially expands the scope of the exhibition. Ismailov added that the Bulgarian defence industry has been steadily growing since 2014, and he cited the example of VMZ Sopot, which works actively and already competes with the private enterprises in the sector.

On the sidelines of HEMUS 2016, the 8th International Science Conference "Scientific Research: A Key Factor for New Defence Capabilities Acquisition" will be held on May 26, the Defence Ministry will host a session of the Ammunition Support Partnership Committee (ASPC), which is part of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on the second and third day of the exhibition, and demonstration firings will take place at the Zmeevo Central Artillery Technical Testing Ground.