The U.S. welcomes Bulgaria’s defense modernization plans and looks forward to the country’s imminent selection of a new multi-role fighter aircraft, a press statement of the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo published on the website of the US Department of State reads. As I emphasized during my phone call with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, and as Deputy Secretary John Sullivan underlined during his visit to Sofia, the United States is committed to work with the Bulgarian government to tailor the final scope of the potential F-16 sale to fit its budgetary and operational requirements, while still offering superior capabilities. The United States has provided more than USD 200 million in security assistance to Bulgaria over the past 25 years to increase military professionalization and NATO interoperability. The United States will continue to prioritize investments with Bulgaria to build NATO interoperability, the announcement further reads.