site.btaAdmiral Emil Eftimov Attends EU Military Committee Meeting in Brussels

Addressing the EU Military Committee meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov talked about the need to strengthen the European Union as a security and defence actor with tools to improve joint public procurement, to secure the supply of necessary defence products, including by increasing industrial capacity, and to align EU policies with common defence objectives, the Ministry of Defence said.

Eftimov stressed that defence chiefs "bear the responsibility to ensure that our armed forces are trained, equipped and ready to deter any aggressor and defend our land, interests and values."

According to him, strengthening the European defence industry is a strategic challenge for both Europe and Ukraine, and support for Ukraine must continue. He stressed that in parallel with providing this assistance, the EU must focus on restocking its armed forces with the equipment and ammunition they need. The Bulgarian Chief of Defence noted that this is proving to be a challenge that governments need to work with industry to negotiate, develop and build new capabilities to overcome. "Our common challenges are to ensure that the European defence industry is ready to produce timely the volumes required. To strengthen our armed forces, we must act in partnership with the European defence industry," he said.

The Admiral stressed that national defence institutions are currently struggling to provide assistance in the face of regulatory constraints.

The meeting of the Military Committee discussed topical issues on the EU common security and defence policy agenda.

In Admiral Eftimov’s opinion, the EU’s Rapid Deployment Capacity should focus on the immediate neighbourhood, including in the Western Balkans region.