Skopje, 30 August 2024 (MIA) - Defense Minister Vlado Misajlovski said Friday the implementation of the agreement on procurement of eight helicopters from Italian company "Leonardo", concluded by the former authorities, is set to continue.

"We will continue to implement the agreement, a procurement of over EUR 300 million for eight helicopters. The first one is expected in 2026," said Minister Misajlovski.

He expressed regret that the helicopters are not already in the country, considering the large number of wildfires, while adding they would include additional equipment for fire extinguishing.

State-to-state agreements are also concluded with France and the United States and their implementation would also continue accordingly.

"These are enormous funds for the Ministry of Defense but we will do everything in our power to increase the budget. This year it will exceed 2.15 percent of the GDP and we are planning to increase this amount to 2.3 percent. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Finance will have the final say," said Misajlovski.

The agreement on the procurement of eight helicopters AW149 and AW169M worth EUR 249.5 million was signed in March. They are set to be delivered between 2026 and 2028. The agreement also includes a logistical support package, namely equipment, spare parts, staff training and construction of a facility for this purpose.

Photo: MIA