Balgarianovinite.com Southeast Europe’s defence and security landscape has shifted since the war in Ukraine, SeeNext Insights Project Manager Ralitsa Vaseva said at Automotive Forum Bulgaria 2026 at Sofia Tech Park on Wednesday.
The international conference, organized by Automotive Cluster Bulgaria, was held with BTA as media partner. Vaseva presented an analysis of defence and security in Southeast Europe.
Vaseva said the period of relative calm in Southeast Europe ended with the war in Ukraine, putting security back at the centre of European policy. This does not mean the region is on the brink of war, she said, but that countries must be “better prepared, better connected and more resilient”.
The analysis says defence is no longer viewed only as a cost, but as an economic and strategic driver. “We see the shift from passive security to active preparation,” Vaseva said. NATO and EU membership remain key, she added, but every country must build its own capacity in the military, infrastructure, industry, technology and resilience.
The analysis identifies Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia as key countries for regional security. The data show that Greece remains Southeast Europe’s leading military power, owing to its strategic location and the importance of its navy and air force. Romania is described as NATO’s logistics hub in the region and the largest beneficiary under the SAFE instrument, with nearly EUR 16.7 billion.
On Bulgaria, Vaseva highlighted the country’s role as an industrial hub for weapons and ammunition production. The war in Ukraine has shown the importance of production capacity and supply chains, she said. “European security no longer depends only on who has equipment, but on who can produce, maintain and deliver,” Vaseva said.
The analysis also frames infrastructure as a security factor. Vaseva said roads, railways, ports and bridges now also serve a defence function because they must enable the rapid movement of equipment, troops and resources. Bulgaria is a natural corridor between the Greek ports, Romania and the Black Sea, making its transport infrastructure strategically important for NATO’s eastern flank, she added.
Energy independence and digital readiness are also key elements of the new security environment. Vaseva said LNG terminals, gas interconnectors and electricity transmission networks are now viewed as part of security. Cybersecurity, protected communications networks and cyber incident response teams are becoming essential to modern defence readiness, she added.
Vaseva also presented data on the development of the defence industry in the region. The analysis shows that while revenue at the largest companies in Southeast Europe fell by 3.2%, leading defence companies posted annual growth of more than 30% in 2024. This should not be seen as “war creates business”, Vaseva said, but as a response to the new security environment and to Europe’s need to expand its production capacity.
Bulgaria has an important role in the region’s defence industry, particularly in weapons and ammunition production, Vaseva said. She pointed to Arsenal’s increased revenue between 2021 and 2024 as an example showing that the Bulgarian defence industry is “not part of the past, but an active sector in the current European defence environment”.
The presentation also focused on the technological transformation of defence. Vaseva said the war in Ukraine has shown that drones are now a real component of modern defence, not a niche technology. She also highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, satellite technologies and C4I systems for command and coordination. SeeNews Analysis Sees Defence as New Economic Driver in Southeast Europe 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-20 19:56:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law