On 7 June, the Balkan-Ukrainian Defence Industries Forum was held in Bulgaria. The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria Adelina Nikolova, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Bulgaria David Sukalinski, Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Serhiy Boyev, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Dmytro Klimenkov, Director of the Agency of Defence Procurement Maryna Bezrukova and CEO of Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC Herman Smetanin. Also present were representatives of defence companies from Ukraine, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece, Romania and Croatia.

The event was aimed at strengthening partnerships between the governments of Ukraine and the countries of the Balkans and establishing cooperation between Ukrainian and Balkan defence companies.

"Today, the whole world understands that we must be ready to fight for peace. That is why we, together with our partners, are building the Arsenal of the Free World in Ukraine. The countries of the Balkan Peninsula play a significant role in the production of weapons in Europe, in particular in the production of ammunition. Therefore, it is important for us to build strong partnerships at the level of defence industries between our countries to strengthen the defence capability of the democratic world as well,’ said Serhiy Boyev. 

The need to increase the production capacity of weapons and military equipment in response to today's challenges were discussed during the forum. In particular, they discussed the strategy for the production of traditional weapons and defence tech as a key to technological superiority.

"This forum is in line with the overall efforts to strengthen defence and industrial cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine. These efforts are focused not only on ensuring sustainable military support for Ukraine, but also on better meeting the needs of Ukrainian defence and industry in the long term. It is expected that these joint and structured efforts will lead to the gradual integration of Ukrainian industry into the European defence technology and industrial base,’ said Adelina Nikolova.

"In an increasingly interconnected world, our security and economic priority depends on our ability to work together, share knowledge and leverage our strengths. By fostering a spirit of cooperation, we can collectively improve our defence capabilities and ensure a safer and more secure future for all. I would like to assure you that in the Ministry of Economy you have a reliable partner, and we will support the development of future economic initiatives in the context of our common commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and security in Europe. And in the world,’ said David Sukalinski.

We are grateful to our partners for their support in our fight against Russian aggression. Ukraine is ready to share experience and knowledge that will be useful for democratic countries to strengthen their defence capabilities. That is why assistance to Ukraine is about a mutually beneficial partnership.