Bulgarian Minister of Defence and French Ambassador Discuss Accelerating Joint Projects to Modernise the Bulgarian Armed Forces

The Minister of Defence, Dimitar Stoyanov, held a meeting with the Ambassador of the French Republic to Bulgaria, H.E. Marie Dumoulin. The two discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in the field of defence, joint modernisation projects, and the expansion of industrial partnership between Bulgaria and France, the Ministry of Defence press centre said on June 23.

Minister Stoyanov outlined measures taken by the government to fulfil NATO commitments and modernise the armed forces, including through the use of the European SAFE mechanism.

Minister Stoyanov presented the measures taken by the government to fulfill its commitments to NATO and to modernize the armed forces, including through the use of the European SAFE mechanism.

“The plan to reach 5% of GDP for defence by 2035 is already a fact. We are working both on acquiring new capabilities and on building the necessary infrastructure for their effective use,” the minister said.

Among the main topics of discussion were joint Bulgaria–France projects for the acquisition of new three-coordinate radars, 155 mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, as well as the implementation of the contract for VL MICA surface-to-air missiles for the Navy.

“Bulgaria has a strong partnership with France in the field of defence. I hope that at the same pace at which we are working on the radar project, we will continue with the rest of the joint initiatives,” Minister Stoyanov emphasised.

He also highlighted the participation of the Bulgarian defence industry in future initiatives.

“For us, this is one of the most important issues. We will actively seek industrial cooperation with every country with which we implement capability acquisition projects. The involvement of Bulgarian companies is an important prerequisite for the development of national defence capability, and I believe the French side will support such a partnership,” he said.

Ambassador Dumoulin confirmed France’s readiness to continue working with Bulgaria to strengthen collective security and Europe’s defence capabilities.

The two also discussed the resumption of strategic dialogue in the field of defence between Bulgaria and France, with steps expected to be taken later this year.