SOFIA, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Bulgaria inched closer on Wednesday to buying a second batch of eight new F-16 aircraft and related equipment from the United States in a deal valued at $1.30 billion, interim Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.

The European Union and NATO member country, which had ordered eight Lockheed Martin F-16 jets in 2019, is seeking to replace its ageing Russian MiG-29 fighter jets and improve its compliance to NATO standards.