site.btaUS Tanks Will Stay for Joint Exercises Until Year's End - Defence Minister Nenchev

US Tanks Will Stay for Joint Exercises Until Year's End - Defence Minister Nenchev

Brussels, June 25 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Zheliazkov) -
Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev told Bulgarian journalists at
NATO Headquarters here on Thursday that the heavy US military
equipment, which arrives in Bulgaria, will be used for much
needed by the Bulgarian servicemen exercises.

Nenchev is participating in a  meeting of NATO defence ministers
 in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday.

Answering a question, he explained that it is still not clear
exactly how many tanks will be shipped to Bulgaria, but their
number is expected to be a few dozen. "After the meeting with
the US Ambassador in Sofia, I was asked questions whether this
equipment will stay in Bulgaria permanently. I answered that a
request has not been made to us, to me, neither officially or
unofficially, about the American equipment staying permanently
in Bulgaria. The question about the quantity of heavy equipment
that will stay in Bulgaria came following the statement made by
the US Secretary of Defence. I said that I haven't been
approached on the matter," Nenchev explained, adding that this
pertains to equipment which will be used for joint exercises for
 a certain period of time, after which it will be moved.

Nenchev explained that this equipment will likely stay in
Bulgaria until the year's end and will include tanks in addition
 to other equipment, about which there is still no specific
information. This equipment will not stay permanently in
Bulgaria, the Minister said.

He also noted that the NATO command centre in Bulgaria has
completed the first stage of its formation, along with the
reconstruction of the building where it will be housed.

Bulgaria and Poland could sign an integrovernmental agreement
for the repairs of the twin-engine MiG-29 jet fighters, which
are in service at the Bulgarian Air Force, the Defence Minister
said. He noted that the possibility to have Bulgarian MiG-29
engines repaired in Poland has been explored and it was
established that repairing a single engine would cost one
million leva less than it did until now. The repair cost would
be the same as it is for the Polish Army, with no surcharge, he
explained.

Answering a question, Nenchev said that the idea to buy new jet
fighters is not abandoned but the arrangement with the Polish
side buys time until the best decision can be made.

As part of the meeting in Brussels, Nenchev conferred with the
British Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon. The two
discussed the deteriorated security environment in Southeast
Europe. Special attention was paid to the Black Sea region,
given its importance for the Alliance's security.