The Ministry of Economy and Industry is developing an ambitious plan for strategic partnership between Bulgarian and German defense manufacturers. Petar Dilov presented a detailed concept for creating a joint company between "Military Metallurgical Plant" and "Rheinmetall", which will manage two high-tech production complexes.
The project proposal envisages the construction of two specialized factories - one for the production of energetic materials and charges, and the other for manufacturing 155-millimeter ammunition. Financing will be carried out through the European SAFE mechanism with a potential budget of up to 960 million euros.
According to the minister, negotiations with the German concern have been proceeding intensively in recent months. The main goal is the transfer of modern technologies and the creation of a modern joint industrial enterprise on Bulgarian territory.
The strategic benefits for the national defense industry are multifaceted. The project will provide expansion and modernization of the production capacity of "VMZ", while meeting the standards of the European Union and NATO. The creation of a significant number of new jobs and generation of additional state revenues is expected.
A key moment in the negotiations was the visit of Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger to Bulgaria in March, when the specific parameters of cooperation were discussed. By the deadline of July 29, Bulgaria has officially expressed interest in financing in the range between 3.261 and 3.583 billion euros.
The Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov confirmed that the documentation was submitted on time and covers a total of nine modernization projects. This large-scale plan demonstrates Bulgaria's desire to develop a modern and competitive defense sector.