Bulgaria gives up the project for the upgrade of its MiG-29 fighter aircraft fleet up to NATO standards.

According to Dimitar Georgiev, Air Force commander-in-chief, the Alliance does no require exclusively compatibility of member states aircraft.

The contract with Russia's RSK MiG for the upgrade of MiG-29 fighter aircraft will be terminated and a new contract will be signed only for the repair of the fleet, but with a different company.

Bulgaria contracted RSK MiG in March 2002. Under the deal, RSK was to subcontract 45 percent of the upgrade works to the Plovdiv-based plant of Terem.

Russia's RSK MiG agreed to grant all licenses to the joint venture based in Plovdiv for the upgrade of Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter jets, which was one of the reasons why Sofia preferred the Russian company to Germany's EADS.

Bulgarian officials have repeatedly complained that the Russians are months behind schedule and have moved most of the works to Russia.