Bulgaria signs memorandum to strengthen cooperation with defence industry

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said the goal was to establish a new type of partnership through closer ties and better coordination, in order to ensure an adequate national response to the demands of modernising Bulgaria’s defence capabilities.

Petar Georgiev, a representative of the Bulgarian Defence Industry Association, said that domestic companies were often more highly regarded abroad than in Bulgaria itself. He urged the government to develop strategies jointly with local manufacturers and prioritise Bulgarian firms over foreign suppliers.

According to data cited by reporter Dobromir Videv, output from the 16 private companies operating in Bulgaria’s defence sector was valued at just over €2.1 billion in 2023.