Belgium has approved the transfer of four decommissioned minehunters to Bulgaria under a contract worth €24 million (over $28 million).
The vessels will be modernised at Belgian shipyards before being deployed by Bulgaria in the Black Sea. Defence Minister Theo Francken said the deal would strengthen NATO’s presence in the region while also supporting Belgian industry.
“Bulgaria will receive ships it can deploy in the Black Sea, and our Belgian industry will benefit from €24 million in employment and high-tech contracts,” Francken said. “In this way, we are not only strengthening NATO but also our own economy.”
He added that transferring the ships allows Belgium to avoid the costs of maintaining or dismantling older vessels as the navy transitions to a new generation of mine countermeasure ships.
Under the agreement, Bulgaria will cover the costs of modernising and maintaining the minehunters in Belgium, ensuring long-term contracts for Belgian companies and continued technical support for the Bulgarian navy.
Francken also noted that three Dutch vessels could be added to the programme in the future.
Around 5,000 people have been evacuated to safety after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake smashed an area in eastern Indo...
Twelve people have died and at least 10 others were injured after a Polish-registered bus overturned on a motorway in eastern Hungary, officials sa...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed the deepening of ties with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Pu...
Wildfires across England and Wales have reached their highest level on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, as firefighters struggle to contain outbreaks following a spell of extreme heat.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the sea passage "cannot be seized by tweet."
At least 47 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, triggering small tsunami waves and dozens of aftershocks, officials say.
Iran says the U.S. war and military presence in the region have worsened marine pollution around the Strait of Hormuz, calling for environmental protection to form part of future arrangements governing the strategic waterway.
Around 5,000 people have been evacuated to safety after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake smashed an area in eastern Indonesia, killing at least 51, blocking roads and causing landslides, authorities said on Sunday.
Twelve people have died and at least 10 others were injured after a Polish-registered bus overturned on a motorway in eastern Hungary, officials said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed the deepening of ties with Russia in a message to President Vladimir Putin as Pyongyang marked the anniversary of independence from Japan's colonial rule, KCNA state news agency said on Sunday.
Australia's New South Wales state will start a gun buyback in November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday, part of the national response to a shooting spree that killed 15 at a Jewish festival in Sydney, the state capital.
A Spanish F-18 fighter jet pilot on a NATO air policing mission shot down a drone illegally breaching Romanian national airspace, the fourth unmanned aircraft the country has shot down this year, Romania's Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment