Defence Ministry

Romania's Defence Minister Mihai Fifor on Monday welcomed UK ambassador to Romania Andrew Noble to discuss Romanian-UK defence co-operation, according to a press statement released by the Defence Ministry (MApN).

Fifor and Noble emphasised NATO relations as well as current European affairs at their meeting at the MApN headquarters.

The Defence Ministry has defended the decision to award a 96-year-old member of the pre-World War II Union of Bulgarian National Legions, Dyanko Markov, despite an outcry from Jewish organisations who say he was complicit in the deportation of Bulgarian Jews.

Bulgaria will be selecting among four offers of multi-purpose jet fighters to regenerate its ageing fleet of Soviet MiG-29 planes, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

The four options came from Italy, the US and Sweden.

US contractor Lockheed Martin has proposed the newest version of its F-16 Fighting Falcon platform, the fourth generation F-16V "Viper".

Serbia is to host a NATO emergency situations exercise from October 8 to 11 in Mladenovac, near Belgrade, in which 30 countries will take part with about 1,000 participants.

"The aim of the exercise is to improve interoperability in international disaster response operations," the NATO website said, adding that the exercise will simulate an earthquake situation.

Kosovo's government on Thursday approved a new bill on the Kosovo Security Force, KSF, expanding its competences but avoiding the need for constitutional changes required to change it into a regular army. 

The proposal came from Rrustem Berisha, Minister of the Kosovo Security Force, and provides for the gradual transformation of the FSK.

Romania's Defence Minister Mihai Fifor attended an informal meeting of the EU defence ministers in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday, voicing Romania's support for the ongoing processes in the Western Balkans designed for the development of the partners in this area and for placing them on a European track.

Montenegro's government has authorised the Defence Ministry to deploy the army to help handle a migrant crisis, granting the military the right to deploy a range of joint patrols with police forces.

A Romanian military IAR 99 Soim trainer aircraft crashed on Monday during an exercise in eastern Romania, a week after one of its old Soviet MiG-21 Lancer fighter jets crashed during an air show, killing the pilot.

The pilots of a military aircraft that crashed in Bacau County on Monday have been rescued alive, spokesperson for Bacau Emergency Inspectorate (ISU) Andrei Grecu told AGERPRES.

"Yes [they were rescued]. They are alive," Grecu said.

Several intervention, extrication, and first aid crews were sent to the scene after the crash was announced in an emergency 112 call.

A IAR 99 Hawk aircraft crashed in Bacau County on Monday and the pilots managed to eject.

"There is indeed an IAR 99 Hawk aircraft that has crashed in Bacau. Specific procedures have been started in such situations. The pilots were able to eject and now they are being searched for," Defence Minister Mihai Fifor told Realitatea Tv in a phone-in.