This is what Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said in his statement at the meeting of the US-led Contact Group on Defence Assistance to Ukraine. The forum was held at Ramstein Air Base, Federal Republic of Germany. The bilateral discussion between the delegations of Bulgaria and Ukraine was also held in the context of the search for joint solutions in support of the Ukrainian side.
Within the framework of the forum, Minister Zapryanov held a bilateral meeting with the Federal Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany Boris Pistorius. They discussed key issues in the defence sector, as well as opportunities for expanding and building on military cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Minister Atanas Zapryanov and Minister Boris Pistorius signed a "Programme Agreement between the Federal Ministry of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria for the joint purchase of IRIS-T SLM systems, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on the joint purchase of ground-based air defence systems within the framework of the European Sky Shield initiative".
The overall objective of the countries participating in the EU initiative is to promote defence cooperation through the joint procurement of interoperable and interchangeable weapon systems.
The draft investment expenditure for the acquisition of IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems was adopted by the National Assembly on 8 August this year. The aim is to overcome the Bulgarian Air Force's deficiency in anti-aircraft missile cover capabilities through technological upgrades and achieving interoperability in the allied air and missile defence system. The implementation of the project is primarily driven by the need to build and maintain air defence capabilities that guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. I BGNES
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