Belgium transfers four minehunters to Bulgaria
Belgium is transferring four minehunters to Bulgaria, the council of ministers has decided on Friday. The ships will be modernised by Bulgaria at Belgian companies at a cost of 24 million euros.
According to defence minister Theo Francken, the deal is a “win-win”. “Bulgaria will receive ships that it can deploy in the Black Sea and our Belgian industry will receive a boost of 24 million euros in employment and high-tech contracts,” he said. “In this way, we are not only strengthening NATO, but also our own economy.”
According to Francken, the transfer also benefits the ministry of defence. A sales procedure would have been long and uncertain, with risks of high costs for maintaining or dismantling unsold ships. Thanks to the transfer, the ministry of defence saves those costs and the navy can focus on commissioning the new generation of mine countermeasure vessels.
The minister also points out that Bulgaria is fully financing the modernisation and maintenance of at least four Belgian - and possibly three Dutch - ships in Belgium. Belgian companies are therefore directly involved in the renewal of this fleet. Their knowledge and expertise can also be used afterwards for long-term support of the Bulgarian navy.
The Lobelia minehunter departing from Zeebrugge for a NATO-mission, 31 March 2025 © BELGA PHOTO MAAIKE TIJSSENS
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