Bulgaria Continues Negotiations for F-16, With the Goal Being a Deal Of Up To $1.16 Billion
SOFIA, (BM) – The F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft will be paid out with money of the reserve, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced last Friday, learned BulgarianMilitary.com
He commented that the negotiations continued at a price of BGN 2-2.2 (1.16-1.28) billion. The US offer is the upper limit, but the government hopes it will be able to reduce another BGN 200 million ($116 million) without cutting the battle capabilities of the package.
Read more: $1.28 Billion Is the US Offer to Bulgaria for Acquisition of 8 F-16 Block 70/72 Fighter Aircraft
The money will be paid out at once, and this will require an update of the budget because the amount is not foreseen so far, Borissov explained.
Minister of Defence Krasimir Karakachanov announced that at the end of next week a US delegation from their Air Force will come again and the final talks about the purchase will be held with them.
Read more: President Rumen Radev Has Warned the Cabinet Not to “Cut” the Package for the F-16
“The teams have done their job, another is the question of what will come out final of all these talks because they continue,” Karakachanov commented.
He recalled that from 7 to 10 May in Washington, representatives of the negotiating teams held a series of consultations and negotiations with representatives of the American side. The negotiating teams have also made detailed reports to the line ministers on the results of all meetings at the line ministries.
“I do not accept the suggestion concerning the competence of the negotiating teams. The principle of the negotiations is reciprocity, there is no way, for example, the Prime Minister to talk at the level, at which the US negotiation teams are given, the relevant levels of expertise and politics talk,” the Deputy Prime Minister explained.
The teams include Deputy Ministers and experts from the Ministries of Economy, Finance, Defence and Foreign Affairs. Air Force members are also actively involved.
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Tranclator editor: Monika Evgenieva
Source: Mediapool