site.btaMinister Tagarev Calls for Increased Defence Industry Production in EU

Defence Minister Todor Tagarev took part Wednesday in an informal meeting of the defence ministers of the European Union (EU) Member States in Brussels, his ministry said. EU support to Ukraine, the Union's defence preparedness with a focus on industrial capacity and the challenges in the Sahel and Red Sea region were the main topics of discussion.

Bulgaria joined the consensus for continued EU support to Ukraine in all dimensions, Tagarev said in his statement. "The opening of membership negotiations necessitates strengthening EU support to Ukraine, contributing to security commitments and reaching agreement on the proposed Ukraine Facility, which will allow the country to defend itself and deter acts of aggression in the future," he added.

"The European Peace Facility and the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine are key elements of the Union's future security commitments to Ukraine," the Defence Minister pointed out.

The European Defence Industrial Strategy was the focal point of discussions on the Union's defence preparedness. Tagarev expressed expectations that the new EU strategy will set political objectives and create conditions for strengthening overall EU cooperation and integration in security and defence. "The European Defence Industrial Strategy should outline effective ways to overcome the EU's dependencies on raw materials, energy and critical technologies, as well as introduce measures and instruments to increase the production of defence products, promote innovation and competitiveness of the defence sector," the Defence Minister stressed. He also focused on the expected new European Defence Industry Development Programme, pointing out the need for it to be ambitious, to promote joint acquisition of defence products and joint projects and to be provided with sufficient financial resources from the EU budget.

The European Defence Industrial Strategy is expected to be released by the European Commission at the end of February. The European Defence Industrial Development Programme should also be ready this year.

Tagarev supported the launch of an EU naval operation in the Red Sea region, which should ensure freedom of navigation and protect European interests. He stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts and strategic communication to overcome the risks of conflict escalation. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the Chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence, Nathalie Loiseau, took part in discussions on this topic.