site.btaDefence Minister: "I Have Pursued Policy of Close Integration with NATO and Breaking Dependence on Third Countries"

Defence Minister: "I Have Pursued Policy of Close Integration with NATO and Breaking Dependence on
Third Countries"

Sofia, September 27 (BTA) - Commenting on a letter sent by AO
RSK MiG General Manager Sergey Korotkov to Parliamentary Defence
 Committee Chairman Miho Mihov published in the media, Defence
Minister Nikolai Nenchev stated that he had been pursuing a
consistent policy of closer integration between Bulgaria and
NATO and breaking the dependence on third countries, his
Ministry said.

On Saturday "Standart News" reported that Russia threatened to
sanction Poland if it went ahead with the repair of Bulgaria's
MiG-29 aircraft. Mihov ordered the letter urgently forwarded to
Nenchev. "The Russian side has not provided Poland with a
licence and up-to-date technical documents for the execution of
repairs of the engines of these aircraft. This means that if the
 Bulgarian MiGs undergo such a repair, RSK MiG will discontinue
the further performance of the contractual relations for the
maintenance and operation of the aircraft," the letter
reportedly reads. For the first time, it specifies that Russia
proposes to repair the 14 engines at 1,050,650 euro each - a
figure that has not been disclosed so far. Nenchev said at a
meeting of the Defence Committee that Poland's price is 30 per
cent lower.

Nenchev said that under Council Decision 2014/512/CFSP of July
31, 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's
actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, Bulgaria cannot
continue having repairs and maintenance of its equipment done in
 Russia.

"One cannot be part of the EU and NATO and continue being
dependent on countries outside them. That is why Bulgaria has
turned to Poland for the repair of its MiG-29 aircraft," said
Nenchev.

Poland performs the full scope of activities for maintenance of
the airworthiness of MiG-29s.

Bulgaria is negotiating with Poland to provide this scope of
maintenance activities, Nenchev said, adding that it can also
upgrade the aircraft in line with NATO standards.