“Offset deals will not remain a thing of the past, despite the debate that goes on in the EU about those deals. There are many EU countries that benefit from offset deals and Bulgaria is one of them,” Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said in a video message during the third international conference Development of an Offset Policy in Bulgaria.

‘The modernisation of the Bulgarian army was delayed. It started during the mandate of the previous cabinet of Saxe-Coburg, and the funds for the modernisation of the army are highly insufficient. These funds could come from offset deals.”

Stanishev presented the first results from offset deals in Bulgaria. The costs for the DaimlerChrysler deal for motor vehicles was 3.2 million euro in direct offset and five million euro in indirect offset, Stanishev said.

Costs for the deal with Italian company Alenia for air planes was 152 million euro in direct offset and 70 million euro in indirect offset. Part of the indirect offset Alenia would invest in the production of roses for export, the PM said.

Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov said: “Offset deals are a modern policy to attract investments in high technology and know-how.”

Bulgaria now needed reforms of a second generation and the offset deals were such reforms, according to Dimitrov.

One of the goals was to modernise the army, but an even bigger goal was to modernise the economy. This would be achieved with offset deals, he said.

“For a very long time, Bulgaria accepted any kind of investment, but now we need to attract investments in high technologies and know-how.” The offset deals are a way to achieve that.

Economy and Energy Ministry would support the companies willing to complete offset deals. Dimitrov said he was personally engaged with the support.

The conference was organised by the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, NATO information centre in Sofia, Economy and Energy Ministry and Defence Ministry.