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Bulgaria postpones purchase of new fighters: PM

Xinhua, April 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Bulgaria is to postpone the purchase of new NATO-compatible multi-role fighters due to the priority need for social spending and reforms, the country's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said here on Tuesday.

"For now, the military aircraft will wait because first we will pay the pensioners, fix the country, and regain fiscal discipline," Borissov told a joint press conference after meeting Hoyt Yee, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of State responsible for European and Eurasian Affairs.

The U.S. and NATO understand Bulgaria's position on this issue, Borissov said.

Of course, as a NATO country, Bulgaria would endeavor to fulfill its commitments in the future, said Borissov.

The acquisition of at least eight NATO-compatible multi-role fighters that would replace the former Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter and Su-25 ground-support aircraft has been postponed several times by the less developed EU state, a NATO member since 2004. Endit