Polish angle to Bulgarian general resignation: report
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
02.08.2016 09:48
The head of the Bulgarian Air Force has tendered his resignation, with reports that the move is in protest at a decision by his government to allow Poland to police the country's airspace.
Photo: Flickr.com/NATO
Major General Rumen Radev had repeatedly expressed opposition to Bulgarian Defence Ministry plans to allow foreign aircraft to protect Bulgarian airspace.
The agreement between Poland and Bulgaria is expected to be signed over the coming months. According to the Bulgarian Sega daily quoted by the Polish PAP news agency, Poland was chosen because, like Bulgaria, it uses Russian-made Mig-29 fighter jets.
The official reason for the resignation was that Radev was due for retirement. However, news agency reports said that he might be interested in running for president in November, after recent polls indicated he could be a front runner for the position.
Poland's deputy defence minister confirmed in early June that the Polish Air Force will start a mission to police airspace over the eastern flank of NATO.
“Poles will be air policing over the Balkans, in Bulgaria and Romania,” said Tomasz Szatkowski, Poland’s deputy defence minister.
“It's a foregone conclusion, now we are simply wrapping up the details,” Szatkowski added.
He said that taking part in the mission is a way of showing that Poland not only aims to protect its own security but also that of its NATO partners. (rg)