Romania is going to receive a new model of the PATRIOT system from the United States, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday, pointing out that the purchase contract has been signed and the payment has already been made.

The announcement was made at the end of a visit to the construction site of the Large Burns Centre at the „Pius Branzeu” County Emergency Clinical Hospital in Timisoara.

He was asked whether Romania would complete the purchase of a new PATRIOT system from the U.S. to replace the one that was donated to Ukraine, given the change in the administration at the White House and the position expressed by the U.S. regarding aid to Ukraine.

„We have signed the contract, we have also collected the money. We have all the funds, we received the money, and we have already made the payment. Interestingly, we are getting a new model!,” answered Marcel Ciolacu.

Defence Minister Angel Tilvar in an interview with AGERPRES in January said that the contract for the PATRIOT system to replace the one Romania donated to Ukraine was going to be signed soon.

„The U.S. government has decided to approve the delivery to Romania of three PATRIOT systems, which were already in the programme. In addition to these three systems, regarding the system we donated, which is worth approximately 300 million… partners from three NATO member states have contributed financially, with Romania going to pay only for transportation and probably VAT for this equipment,” said the minister.

AGERPRES