Bulgaria's Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and French Ambassador Marie Dumoulin held talks on Tuesday regarding key defence acquisition projects, including new three-dimensional radar systems, 155 mm CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and VL MICA surface-to-air missiles for the Navy, according to the Bulgarian Defence Ministry.
Modernization and Partnership Context
The projects were framed within Bulgaria's efforts to modernize its armed forces and expand defence industry cooperation with France. Stoyanov emphasized the strong bilateral defence partnership and expressed hope that the momentum from the radar project would extend to other joint initiatives.
NATO Commitments and Spending Targets
The minister outlined measures taken by the Bulgarian government to meet NATO commitments, including plans to reach defence spending of 5 percent of GDP by 2035. He noted ongoing work on acquiring new capabilities and building necessary infrastructure for their effective use. Stoyanov also highlighted the importance of Bulgarian defence industry participation in future projects, seeking French support for industrial cooperation.
“We will actively seek industrial cooperation with every country with which we implement projects for the acquisition of new capabilities. The participation of Bulgarian companies is an important prerequisite for the development of national defence capacity, and I believe that the French side will support such cooperation,” Stoyanov said.
French Commitment and Strategic Dialogue
Ambassador Dumoulin reaffirmed France's readiness to continue joint efforts to strengthen Europe's collective security and defence capabilities. The two officials also discussed resuming the strategic defence dialogue between Bulgaria and France, with steps to be taken as early as this year.
