Bulgaria could play key role in European defence efforts, says Antonio Costa
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Bulgaria could play a key role in European defence efforts, EU Council President António Costa has said.
Costa, who is on currently on a three-day visit to the country, toured Arsenal JSCo, a leading firearms and ammunition manufacturer and said Bulgaria could be a leading supplier to Europe's defence capabilities.
"The security of Europe starts in Ukraine. The security of Europe and Ukraine can not be separated. We took the decision to significantly increase our investments in defence. To invest more in defence means to invest more in our economy and capacity for research and innovation," Costa said.
"If we want to succeed in this defence programme we need to mobilise all the capacity in different member states. Bulgaria has good conditions to have a key role in this process. Not only to provide Bulgarian necessities but also to provide and to be a great supplier of defence capabilities of other European countries."
Costa also said that greater investment in defence among European countries could also drive competitiveness.
Trucks wait in line at the Bulgarian-Greek border checkpoint of Kulata in Bulgaria, 12 December, 2024
AP Photo
He also said that his visit to Bulgaria comes at a significant time for the country, following its entry into the Schengen Area and its preparations to join the eurozone.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov said Sofia aims to increase defence spending as a percentage of GDP.
"This year, defence spending exceeds 2% of GDP. The government's intention is to further increase this spending by making use of the option to activate the clause that allows rearmament projects, implemented under EU joint procurement initiatives, to be excluded from the budget deficit," he said.
Bulgaria has been a member of NATO since 2004 and many countries in the alliance are nervous since the Trump administration indicated that the US' defence priorities no longer lie with Europe.
That's sparked calls across the continent for Europe to spend more on its own defence and not rely on Washington, particularly with several countries nervous about Russian President Vladimir Putin's territorial ambitions lying beyond the borders of Ukraine.
Damaged private houses burn following Russia's air raid in the Donetsk region, 28 April, 2025
AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP
"Bulgaria will continue to be a constructive, predictable and reliable partner as the EU faces geopolitical and economic challenges," Jeliazkov said.
Meanwhile, President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., also arrived in Bulgaria during his European tour.
Trump Jr. Denied media access to his meetings with Bulgarian business leaders, telling journalists to leave before he disembarked from his plane and again at the venue, saying he was "not in the mood for photos."
Despite the closed-door nature of the event, it emerged that Trump Jr. met with Boyko Borissov, leader of the GERB party, the largest political force in the Bulgarian parliament, but the nature of their talks has not been made public.
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