site.btaDeputy Defence Minister Rejects Concerns over Undue Influence on Bulgaria's Selection of New Jet Fighters

ESD 16:02:01 23-08-2018
DD1559ES.113
113 MILITARY - DEPUTY MINISTER - U.S. VISIT - COMMENT

Deputy Defence Minister Rejects Concerns over
Undue Influence on Bulgaria's Selection
of New Jet Fighters


Sofia, August 23 (BTA) - Ahead of a visit to the US with a Defence Ministry delegation, Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov rejected concerns over undue influence on Bulgaria's selection of new jet fighters. "The invitation for the US visit is for military technical consultations. We can get such invitations from other countries as well and we will respond positively," Zapryanov explained.

The Defence Ministry said August 19 that its delegation headed by Atanas Zapryanov will be visiting the United States between August 27 and 31. The announcement said that the delegation had been invited by the head of office for defence cooperation at the US Embassy in Sofia after the Bulgarian side "declared a wish for partnership in areas of shared interest and readiness for strengthening strategic dialogue between Bulgaria and the US". In Washington D.C., the Bulgarian Deputy Defence Minister is expected to have meetings at the Pentagon, the State Department and Congress.

Earlier on Thursday, commenting on the upcoming Defence Ministry visit and concerns that it could influence the competition for acquisition of jet fighters, President Rumen Radev told reporters at Vrazhdebna Airbase that all meetings and visits were good because they provided more information to the interested countries. However, when an invitation to tender is sent, all visits and talks must stop until the offers are received. The only possible meeting at that time would be one where all participants together are offered explanations. "If we want Bulgaria to be a State which offers an equal playing field, competition and objectivity, we should conform to those practices accepted around the world," Radev said.

Rejecting concerns that the procedure will be non-transparent, Zapryanov commented: "At this stage Bulgaria cannot influence in any way the decision of the countries to which it has sent an invitation to tender for the acquisition of jet fighters."

Bulgaria has sent invitations to several countries which have until October 1 to respond.

These consultations are intended to help the Defence Ministry clarify the requirements, the methods of evaluation and its approach. "We set great store by full transparency for all participants, we have been working with the governments and we must be open and transparent enough," said the Deputy Defence Minister.

He regretted the short time frame of three months for preparing the tenders, and noted that such military technical consultations would help Bulgaria's partners prepare their replies sooner.

"By explaining exactly what we want, we hope to get detailed offers so as to save time," said Zapryanov.

During the US visit he will be accompanied by two aviation experts, including the project leader, financial experts, and experts on international negotiations and on international law.

Zapryanov said: "There cannot be anything non-transparent because this contract will have to be approved by the government and Parliament."

Bulgaria has long been planning to purchase a new type of fighter jets for its Air Force, for which it has a budget of 1.8 billion leva. The initial procedure had selected new Gripen fighter jets from Sweden, but last year Parliament returned the old project to be further updated arguing that it had excluded for formal reasons Portugal's and the US's offers for second-hand F-16 fighter jets. The project is currently in its final stage. According to the mediapool.bg e-zine, the main competitors will be new Swedish Gripen fighter jets and second-hand F-16s from either Israel, Portugal or the US. The Defence Ministry is also seeking offers for newly-built F- Block 60 or 70 fighter jets or Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, as well as either new or used Dassault Rafale (France) and Eurofighters. LN/DD/MY
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