site.btaUPDATED Parliamentary Committee Approves Ratification Bill for Acquisition of Dutch Minehunters

The parliamentary defence committee approved at first reading, by a 16-1 vote, a bill to ratify the Sales Agreement between the Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria and the Netherlands for the purchase of the Tripartite-class minehunters HNLMS Zierikzee (hull number M862), HNLMS Willemstad (M864), and HNLMS Schiedam (M860). The committee also approved the ratification of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, and the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands concerning the transfer of Tripartite-, Flower-, and Alkmaar-class minehunters currently in operational service with the Belgian and Dutch navies, together with a crew-training facility, spare parts, and additional equipment.

The agreement defines the commitments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding the acquisition of the three Dutch vessels. Under the agreement, the Dutch side is responsible for transferring ownership of each ship after completing the necessary work to restore its technical capabilities and extend its operational service life.

The Memorandum covers the acquisition of seven minehunters - three Dutch and four Belgian vessels - including a crew-training facility, spare parts, and additional equipment. The ships are equipped with modern systems for detecting, identifying, and neutralizing mines and mine-like objects, comply with NATO operational standards, and are currently in service with the Belgian and Dutch navies.

Under the Memorandum, Bulgaria is responsible for covering the cost of refurbishment and restoration work on all seven vessels to bring them up to NATO operational readiness standards, as well as for training Ukrainian minehunter crews.

The maximum cost of refurbishment and restoration work for each vessel is up to EUR 6 million, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said. He added that the first minehunter from Belgium is expected to be delivered in September or October of this year. Stoyanov also noted that a condition for the ships to be transferred free of charge was the training of one Ukrainian crew, and that this training has already been completed.

During the committee debate, Hristo Simeonov of Progressive Bulgaria remarked that the refurbishment cost was remarkably low for acquiring equipment of this kind.

Georg Georgiev of GERB–UDF pointed out that the acquisition of the minehunters had been prepared by several successive governments. He warned that if Bulgaria were to change its position on assistance to Ukraine, the countries that had agreed to provide the vessels on preferential terms could also reconsider their own commitments.

Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov responded that no one had suggested in any way that Bulgaria was an unreliable partner. He stressed that Bulgaria remains a reliable NATO ally and a member of the European Union.

Ivaylo Mirchev of Democratic Bulgaria said that Bulgaria was receiving the vessels because there is a war in the Black Sea region and because its allies trust that Bulgaria will not become a "Trojan horse" within NATO, but will continue to meet its alliance obligations. "We must not end up in a situation where we receive these ships but refuse to support Ukraine when it needs our assistance," he said.

Minister Stoyanov described these statements as political. “Mr. Mirchev may shoulder a rifle and go wherever he wants to go,” he commented.

The Minister said that Bulgaria is fulfilling its obligations and is not a Trojan horse within NATO. Bulgaria is part of the mine-countermeasures group and has never refused to participate in this group, which works together with Romania and Turkey, Stoyanov stated. However, he pointed out that the Bulgarian Armed Forces have no more weapons that can be provided to Ukraine.

Regarding the advice about the rifle, Ivaylo Mirchev replied: “There’s no problem, but only if you come with me. The question is, which side will you be on? Don’t go over to Putin.”

“If I shoulder a rifle, I will do it for Bulgaria,” Minister Stoyanov said.