3rd AmCham Defense Business Mission to the U.S. - Day 1: A Defining Presence for Bulgaria

Bulgaria made a strong showing on the first day of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Industry and Innovation Alexander Poulev presented Bulgaria’s industrial potential and the political will to deepen economic and industrial cooperation between Bulgaria and the United States.

Opening the Black Sea Defense and Security Forum

Minister Poulev opened a forum on defense and security opportunities in the Black Sea region together with Bradley McKinney, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The forum was part of the Defense Seminar organized by the U.S. Commercial Service at AUSA, with prominent speakers from Romania and Croatia. Before the seminar, Minister Poulev and Mr. McKinney held a one-on-one meeting on the growing potential of the U.S.-Bulgaria partnership.

“We have the potential to deepen our industrial partnership with the United States in high technology and defense,” Deputy Prime Minister Poulev said.

A one-stop shop for investors

Minister Poulev also spoke about the restructured Ministry, which is being positioned as a one-stop shop for current and new investors in Bulgaria.

“We are cutting the red tape and we are preparing the red carpet for you, the new investors in the country!” he told the audience at the Defense Seminar.

Meetings with Industry Leaders

The Minister’s agenda combined government meetings with talks with leading U.S. defense and technology companies, including Boeing Defense, Space & Security, L3Harris Technologies, AV and Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin welcomed the Minister and AmCham Bulgaria at its Technology Center in Crystal City, Virginia.

The discussions focused on expanding partnerships with Bulgarian companies in aviation, defense and space technologies and autonomous drones, as well as on developing broader industrial cooperation.