Bulgaria received the first payment under the SAFE defense instrument

Bulgaria and Latvia have received their first payments under the “Security for Europe” (SAFE) instrument. Bulgaria is receiving 489.3 million euro and Latvia is receiving 524.7 million euro. These payments represent 15% of the total funds allocated to the two countries - €3.3 billion for Bulgaria and €3.5 billion for Latvia, respectively.

SAFE is a financial instrument with a total value of 150 billion euro, through which loans are provided to member states. It primarily funds joint procurement of ammunition, missiles, air defense systems and ground combat systems manufactured in the EU. SAFE is part of the European Commission’s ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan, which aims to mobilize over 800 billion euros in defense investments across the European Union.

This pre-financing will help Bulgaria accelerate priority investments in defense, strengthen its resilience and modernize its military capabilities in line with common European objectives. SAFE was established to enable rapid and coordinated action, improve the ability of European armed forces to act jointly, and strengthen the European defense industry, including through joint procurement and closer cross-border cooperation.