Contract on Repair of Bulgaria's MiG-29 Fighter Jets to be Ratified in Few Days

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev stated in a briefing in parliament on Friday that the contract on the repair of the country's MiG-29 fighter jets by Poland will be ratified in a few days.

Nenchev also forecasted that Bulgaria will receive six of the repaired jets until April next year, daily Dnevnik quotes him as saying.

According to him, the document was finalised by the Polish side on Thursday.

However Nenchev did not make it clear whether the contract will be ratified within the specified timeframe by Bulgaria, Poland or by both countries.

The defence minister calculated that if ten fighter jets are repaired by a company from the Polish military-industrial complex rather than the current company responsible for carrying out the maintenance - the Russian MiG, Bulgaria will save BGN 24 M.

Nenchev expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and his colleagues from the Reformist Bloc (RB) for their firm support on the matter.

According to him, this made Bulgaria feel secure in the policing of its air space.

The defence minister believes that Bulgaria will be loaned out two repaired engines until the end of the year, which will be used until April 2016 when six jets with expanded flying capacity are expected to be received.

Earlier on Friday, Grozdan Karadzhov, MP from the RB, announced that the contract on repair of the fighter jets by Poland has already been signed and Nenchev will be authorised to lay his signature at the next meeting of the Bulgarian government.