US ambassador to Bulgaria Eric Rubin expressed the hope that the negotiations on the F-16 fighter jets will be concluded quickly. He said, for the Bulgarian National Radio, that after the approval by US Congress, reaching an agreement was up to the Bulgarian government. Ambassador Rubin said he was not going to go into details but that he hoped it would be soon. He added he was not ready to answer the question about the price, but stated that the American side was working hard with its Bulgarian allies and partners for an agreement that will be acceptable to both sides and will meet Bulgaria’s requirements. Ambassador Eric Rubin said that he was optimistic.

Defence Minister Karakachanov commented that the realistic price was around USD 1.1 billion. The two-week period has started in which the US government has to submit a draft contract to the Bulgarian side