Germany's Rheinmetall has been offered a new site near Burgas for its investment in Bulgaria, deputy prime minister and economy, investments and industry minister Alexander Pulev said during question time in parliament. The land belongs to the defense ministry.

Pulev said the site already has all the infrastructure needed to get production going faster. The plot will be given the status of a facility of national security and national importance, which will cut red tape. The deputy prime minister also promised the company full administrative support.

He met a Rheinmetall delegation on Wednesday to discuss investment priorities and how the project and the whole process will be run. Pulev said the talks started with a focus on protecting Bulgaria's national interest and fixing gaps that have been around for years.

"We will push for full technology transfer and for creating high-quality jobs in Bulgaria at the VMZ site," the deputy prime minister said.

Besides the gunpowder plant project, the meeting also covered Rheinmetall's wider business. Three other possible investments came up, and one will be chosen after further talks with the company. One option is satellite technology for a monitoring centre the government is setting up in the Dobroslavtsi area. The other two are a line of drones and anti-drone systems, and logistics and transport equipment, which could be used to redirect some Bulgarian automotive specialists into additional employment.

Pulev said Rheinmetall's range of products is wide and opens up various options for doing business in Bulgaria, calling the company one of the top technology and industrial players in the defense sector. He added that Germany is Bulgaria's main trade partner overall, both in trade and in foreign direct investment.

Pulev said Bulgaria will keep working out the details of the investment plan with the company. He himself will travel to Germany for a return visit in October.