Bulgaria, UK expand defence ties amid Ukraine peace push

Bulgaria and the United Kingdom are seeking to expand industrial cooperation in the defence sector, Bulgaria’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday following talks between Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and British Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty.

“The United Kingdom is an important NATO ally for Bulgaria and a key partner in Europe. We have excellent opportunities for cooperation in defence, training and industrial partnership,” Stoyanov said after the meeting.

According to the Bulgarian minister, domestic defence companies are already working successfully with British firms, while further opportunities exist to broaden cooperation. He added that Bulgaria’s defence industry is undergoing accelerated modernisation and becoming increasingly aligned with NATO standards.

Commenting on the war in Ukraine, Stoyanov said the conflict could not be resolved through military means alone.

“We are convinced that the conflict will not be resolved on the battlefield. We see that more and more EU leaders are beginning to talk about sitting down at the negotiating table. We must think about the people on the front line, because these are human lives,” he said.

Doughty said the United Kingdom supported diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, but stressed that Russia continued to intensify its attacks against Ukraine.

Editing by Miglena Ivanova