Thank you very much for the invitation here to Sopot. that Bulgaria has a strong tradition in defence industry and it shows! It is also the only Member State where the largest private employer is a defence company. Here, you are producing large quantities of ammunition. Much of which is supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom. At the beginning of war, one third of the weapons used in Ukraine was coming from Bulgaria. So, I want to thank you first and foremost for your ironclad support to our brave neighbour, partner and future Member.
Dear Prime Minister,
Russia's brutal war against Ukraine is in its fourth year. It is obvious that Putin will not stop there. He has created full-scale yet old-fashioned war economy, precisely because of the biting sanctions that we imposed and he will continue to produce at large scale. So, - as we strengthen Ukraine's defence, we must also take greater responsibility for our own.
And in order to improve our readiness and defence posture, we have together worked at EU level. First and foremost for financial support. We have together created the SAFE instrument - that is EUR 150 billion for joint procurement. It was built and subscribed in record time. Thank you to Bulgaria, also for taking part in the subscription for the safe instrument. Now we have to invest these EUR 150 billion in joint procurement.
Prime Minister, you told me that you were planning on investing EU defence funding from the SAFE instrument right here at VMZ. You are planning to build a plant for gunpowder, extending the plant that I just had the pleasure to visit and planning to build another one for artillery shells that is line with NATO standards.
This is exactly the kind of project we want to see. It will bring good jobs to the region. Up to 1,000 new jobs will come here to Sopot thanks to these projects, but we increase also our ammunition production. We strengthen our collective security, as well as our cooperation with NATO. We support the brave Ukrainian armed forces; we create good jobs in the region. Everywhere in Europe, we are speeding up the production of ammunition. Because the times we live in call for it. Our production capacity should reach 2 million shells by the end of this year.
And as I said, we have to keep up the sense of urgency. Putin has not changed, and he will not change. He is a predator. He can only be kept in check through strong deterrence. Therefore, as we now have the funding, we now have to be fast and well-coordinated with a surge in our defence posture. And this is why we will have a roadmap together. In October, in the European Council, we will discuss what are the gaps that we have in defence, how do to fill those gaps, and what are the targets and milestones that we have to fulfil to 2030.
Finally, let me say that today here, I can confirm that Bulgaria is actively contributing to both Ukraine and the European Union´s defence security. Bulgaria's contribution and its defence industry are a reason not just for national but also for European pride. So, thank you very much for that.
