Parliament mandated government to start talks with US on acquiring F-16 aircraft

Bulgaria’s Parliament on 16^th of January voted to approve a negotiating mandate for the Bulgarian government to hold talks with the United States on acquiring F-16 fighter aircrafts.

The decision was supported by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s GERB party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and by one of the three parties in the United Patriots alliance, which is the minority partner in the collation government - IMRO.

The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB), nationalist Ataka party and the populist Volya voted against.

Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov said the talks could start.

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Borissov will form a team of four ministers to hold the talks: the ministers of defence, finance, economy and foreign affairs. According to Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov, the talks may last for 4 months, and the first meeting is likely to be held in early February at the meeting of Defence Ministers in Brussels. Karakachanov reminded that the deviation from the envisaged BGN 1.8 billion will not be significant.