The EU has had a policy of building a unified European defense and technological base for at least 20 years. For most of this period, it remained at a declarative level. But the war in Ukraine forced a serious rethinking of Europe's defense policy. The need to rearm and support the Ukrainian army brought to the forefront the need for modern, integrated industrial capabilities. And in this regard, Bulgaria is already occupying an increasingly important place.
This was stated in “Wake up” on Nova TV by former defense minister Prof. Todor Tagarev, commenting on the visit of EC President Ursula von der Leyen to our country. She is expected to visit VMZ-Sopot with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
According to him, a number of European leaders, but especially the EC, have tried to use the situation to integrate the defense industries of the member states. And Bulgaria is a participant in this process. He emphasized that Bulgaria has lagged behind in this regard for a long time, but now has a real chance to take a key place in the European industry, thanks to its strategic location and already existing capacity.
When asked whether Von der Leyen's visit is related to the discussed possibility of creating joint factories with the German giant "Rheinmetall" for the production of gunpowder and shells, Tagarev emphasized that: “This is a step towards deeper integration. The European Commission has no direct role in the specific deal with "Rheinmetall", but the visit of its president is a clear political signal that this is the direction that is supported at the highest level in the EU".
The speculation that the construction of new military plants in our country could make Bulgaria a target in the event of a possible escalation was defined by the former Minister of Defense as part of "traditional Russian propaganda", which should not be paid attention to.
"Bulgaria is now among the leading producers of ammunition in Europe – this has not made us a target so far. It will not make us in the future. But the pro-Russian circles in our country are using every opportunity to instill fear", he warned.