Through effective coordination and the prioritization of national interests, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) strives to make the most rational use of opportunities for security cooperation. During parliamentary oversight, Minister of Defence Dimitar Stoyanov outlined the mechanism of this interaction while responding to a question from Democratic Bulgaria MP Atanas Slavov regarding the department's plans to participate in NATO's "High Visibility Projects" for the 2025–2026 period.

The Minister explained that relations between NATO and the EU in the field of defence follow a clear model, where the Alliance defines the necessary capabilities through its planning process, and the EU provides the necessary mechanisms to build them through instruments such as loans and grants (e.g., SAFE). In this context, the MoD applies a balanced approach when selecting projects, taking into account its financial capabilities, the country's technological capacity, and the avoidance of duplication of effort. Minister Stoyanov listed some of the instruments in which our country participates or is considering:

  • NATO's High Visibility Projects;
  • Security Action for Europe (SAFE);
  • European Defence Industry Programme;
  • European Defence Fund.

Although the "High Visibility" projects offer significant benefits for interoperability and capability development, Stoyanov noted that a shortage of financial resources remains a serious challenge. For this reason, the decision for Bulgaria not to join some of NATO's specific proposals for 2025–2026 is based on existing commitments to similar European programs, as well as a lack of strategic necessity to develop certain capabilities.

As an illustrative example of this assessment, the Minister pointed to the Arctic communications project. He emphasized that despite the importance of this initiative for the northern member states and the Alliance itself, it is not relevant to the development of Bulgaria's defence capabilities. In conclusion, Stoyanov assured that the MoD is carefully monitoring all development prospects, aligning them with national goals and NATO's objectives to ensure the most efficient allocation of resources possible.