SOFIA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Bulgarian National Assembly here on Wednesday ordered the Council of Ministers to hold negotiations with the United States administration for the purchase of at least F-16V Block 70 combat aircraft.
The decision was backed by 130 deputies and 84 voted against it.
In order to have a balance in the Balkans, Bulgaria should buy the best and most modern weapon, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov said during the parliamentary debate.
"This decision is political and strategic for the country and we support it," Mustafa Karadayi, leader of Movement for Rights and Freedoms, said in turn.
"We are talking about buying security, not buying equipment," Karadayi said.
However, Volen Siderov, chairperson of the parliamentary group "United Patriots", said that for many years, the U.S. government has been using four military bases in Bulgaria free of charge, so it should donate the warplanes.
Recently Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov, who is currently a member of the parliamentary group "United Patriots", said it would be ridiculous for Bulgaria to rely on that eight, respectively 16 aircraft, to defend the country from countries that have much more.
Bulgaria could protect its sky better and cheaper by using ground-to-air missile bases, he said.
Bulgaria, a NATO member since 2004, still heavily relies on Soviet-made weapons.
