Mikoyan

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev is in Poland on Wednesday and Thursday to finalize a deal for the repair of engines of Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets.

Bulgaria will sign a deal for the repair of the engines of its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets with Poland on Thursday, the Defence Ministry in Sofia announced on Tuesday.

Russia will stop the maintenance of Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29s, if the government in Sofia signs a deal with Poland for the repair of their engines, Sergei Korotkov, Director General of the jets' Russian manufacturer MiG Corp., said on Friday.

Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev expressed hope that parliament will ratify the contract with Poland on the repair of Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter jets in the next one-two weeks.

Nenchev said in Brussels on Thursday that both Bulgaria and Poland will sign the contract once it is ratified, private bTV station quoted him as saying.

The Bulgarian government has given Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev a mandate to sign a deal under which the engines of six MiG fighter jets will be overhauled in Poland.

After the cabinet's move, Parliament is yet to ratify the agreement which sparked controversy in Bulgaria and also outrage from Russian manufacturer RSK MiG.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev on Tuesday entered into details about the price tag of aircraft engine repair if it is carried out by state-owned facilities in Poland.

The deal with Poland is already finalized, he also said.

Russian agency RIA Novosti has published a piece claiming that Bulgaria is about to renounce its own Air Force and "give its air[space] to NATO."

Parliament's Defense Committee is set to hold a joint meeting with military officials at the Graf Ignatievo military base, Southern Bulgaria, amid calls for urgent measures to address the needs of the country's Air Force.

The Defense Ministry's proposal to allow other NATO members to conduct air-policing missions jointly with the Bulgarian Air Force is not and act of giving up aviation, the head of Parliament's Defense Committee has said.

Bulgaria will amend its legislation to allow military aircraft of other NATO member states to conduct policing of the country's air space jointly with the Bulgarian Air Force, the Defence Ministry has announced.