Kiev and Sofia have announced on Monday that they have signed a 10-year defense agreement, which includes the “joint” production of weapons on the territory of both countries.
Ukraine and Bulgaria, a major arms manufacturer, signed a 10-year defense agreement on Monday, announced Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kiev by the Bulgarian interim Prime Minister, Andrey Gyurov. At a press conference following their meeting, the Ukrainian president said he was “very happy” with this agreement, considering it a “continuation” of Sofia’s military support to Ukraine.
The agreement covers “the joint production, on the territory of our countries, of various types of weapons, including drones,” he added, stating that Sofia had agreed to participate in a “coproduction program” in this regard. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the duration of this agreement should allow for the “systematization” of security cooperation, in order to monitor the rapid technological developments in the drone sector.
From the Cold War era, Bulgaria, now a member of NATO and the EU, inherited vast military-industrial complexes producing ammunition and weapons to Soviet standards that are also used by the Ukrainian army. According to the Bulgarian government, nearly 4% of the national GDP comes from the defense industry, which thrived after the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine launched in 2022. Sofia sent significant amounts of weapons to Kiev.
“It is not just a formality”
The Bulgarian interim Prime Minister, Andrey Gyurov, visited Ukraine with several other ministers from his government, including those of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Energy. He praised the defense agreement as the “result of long preparation.” “It is not just a formality, but a joint commitment to our Euro-Atlantic security,” he said in English during his press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to him, the agreement offers both countries “the opportunity to enhance their capabilities in understanding” new threats and to “act quickly” to protect themselves and “ensure economic profitability.” “There are many areas of cooperation available to us in terms of research, innovation, and technology transfer,” he continued, mentioning the possibility of co-productions based on “the capabilities and experience gained by Ukraine in combat.”
Volodymyr Zelensky and Andrey Gyurov also stated on Monday that Kiev and Sofia were working together on the creation of a gas corridor, named the Vertical Gas Corridor, which is intended to connect Greece to several countries in Southeastern Europe. “This corridor is expected to be technically completed by the end of the year. Through it, Ukraine could receive approximately 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year,” the Ukrainian president said on Monday.
