The airport in Bezmer, after the repairs, is capable of receiving such large planes, servicing them, and hosting them. This is good because it shows a high level of interoperability and defense capabilities of Bulgaria. The agreement, ratified back in 2006, is working and allows Bulgaria and the US to maintain strategic partnership relations. This was stated by Velizar Shalamanov in the program "The Day Begins" on BNT.
"All topics related to wars, participation or complicity of Bulgaria, lead to division of society", believes Krasimir Karakachanov. According to him, the agreement, signed by Stanishev and ratified later, does not necessarily bind our country to accept American aircraft.
"The current government found itself in a situation where the GERB and DPS government, lying to the entire Bulgarian society that the aircraft at Sofia Airport were for training, were temporary. The current government had two options - either expelling them permanently, or moving them. The most inappropriate place for these tanker aircraft that participate in real combat operations is not at Sofia Airport," Karakachanov pointed out.
"Radev's government first refused to extend the stay of the aircraft at Sofia Airport. And this is a new request, very specifically oriented towards logistical support through aerial refueling. Whether it is expedient - it is in our national interest for us to develop a strategic partnership with the US and position ourselves in NATO, which has a voice and contributes to security. The decision is expedient", Shalamanov commented in turn.
"When you are a partner with someone, they should think of you not only when they need you. We are partners with the states. But as we saw, the planes for which we signed contracts back in 2018 were delayed by two years, through no fault of ours. The second 8 F-16s will also be delayed. There is nothing that we have acquired that has not cost us dearly. Partnership is not just when they use you like a donkey at a wedding, I understand partnership as a mutual process," said Krasimir Karakachanov.
The problems surrounding the F-16 are that we do not have trained pilots 7 years after we paid for the planes and that the infrastructure in Graf Ignatievo is four times more expensive than stated and has not yet been completed, Shalamanov pointed out.
"It is not true at all that the planes were delayed because the pilots were not ready," Karakachanov stated categorically. "They poured a lot more money into us for the training of the pilots than was necessary. Secondly, the first F-16s were delayed by two years due to the fault of the American side," he added.
If the F-16s had arrived, they would have been sitting in the hangars, as they are today, expressed Velizar Shalamanov. In response, Karakachanov said: "So they were watching us, that we were not ready with the hangars, and that's why they didn't deliver them".