site.btaMemorandum Signed to Enhance Cooperation between State and Defence Industry

Bulgarian defence industry representatives and executive authorities signed a memorandum of cooperation at the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, the Ministry said. The document was signed by Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev, Minister of Economy and Industry Peter Dilov, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences President Evelina Slavcheva, and representatives of the Bulgarian Defence Industry Association.

Economy Minister Peter Dilov said during the signing ceremony that the memorandum lays the groundwork for enhanced institutional cooperation, greater transparency, and consistent action. "With this step, we are making another important move toward a strategic partnership between the state and the defence industry," Dilov added. Bulgaria’s defence industry has significant potential, capacity, and expertise that must be effectively utilized and clearly supported. "In today’s dynamic and unpredictable geopolitical environment, Europe’s security and technological independence have become top priorities. Bulgaria must be an active participant, not a passive observer," Minister Dilov argued.

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that the urgent need for rearmament in Europe sends a clear message of a new phase of cooperation among European countries in the field of defence. "Our efforts are focused on urgent investments in the defence capabilities of the Bulgarian Army and the industrial capacity of our defence industry, with the goal of ensuring the security of the country and of Europe. A transition is being initiated from an approach oriented towards identifying and planning European defence capabilities, to an approach aimed at achieving concrete results through the implementation of joint projects and programmes for the rearmament of European countries," the Minister explained. "The main focus of the Ministry of Defence is placed on opportunities to accelerate the rearmament and modernization of the Bulgarian Army and the implementation of national plans to build the necessary defence capabilities. We fully support the integration of the Bulgarian defence industry into the rearmament of both our army and the armies of EU member states," the Minister added. 

Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev said that the Armed Forces modernization processes could become a major catalyst for the development of Bulgarian industry. “Bulgarian industry can become the Armed Forces’ best friend.” he argued. “Over the next five to ten years, we must invest billions in modernizing the Bulgarian Armed Forces and acquiring new capabilities. This can be done in multiple ways. We can either invest and acquire capabilities, meaning to supply equipment from global manufacturers, or do it the smart way - by leveraging Bulgaria’s development and industrial potential,” Donchev said. “There are new opportunities in economy, science and innovation. At the same time, there are shorter supply chains, sustainable development of domestic production capacity, which is a matter of national security,” he added. He noted that the shortage of cadres is one of the major problems that could halt the growth of Bulgarian industry in the medium term.

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) President Evelina Slavcheva said the Academy is ready to cooperate with the national defence industry as well as the government and its ministries. “Today should be a milestone in the relations among all these organizations which are called upon to accomplish a common national cause. We at BAS are aware of our responsibility for completing the tasks set in the memorandum. We have enough expertise in various scientific disciplines which can be useful, and we are ready to cooperate with the Bulgarian defence industry as well as the government and its ministries, which we have already done for years,” she commented at the signing ceremony.

Bulgarian Defence Industry Association Co-Chair Petar Georgiev said that the Bulgarian Armed Forces must have a strategy, and it must be developed with the participation of the Association. “We hope this memorandum marks a turning point in our relations. It is not that there has not been a memorandum before, there was one in 2012,” Georgiev said. “What matters is that we have not done anything during those years and we have lost a great deal,” he added. “Thirty to forty countries outside Bulgaria value our work, while at home, no one does. The fact that we have survived for 30 years proves we have the capacity. The Bulgarian budget is filled by Bulgarian companies, not foreign ones. Unless we change that, we have achieved nothing,” Georgiev said.

The Association’s other Co-Chair, Petar Cholakov, said: “I hope the Bulgarian defence industry stops being the ‘unwanted child’ of the industrial sector and becomes a sought-after partner instead.” Cholakov noted that the defence industry has enormous potential, both in development and manufacturing. “In recent years, it has been developing in parallel to [the potential of] the Ministry of Defence. I hope this memorandum becomes a convergence point, where the two paths align and move forward together,” he said.