US embassy cable - 05SOFIA27

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000027 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR PM, EUR/PRA AND EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/15 
TAGS: MASS, MARR, PREL, PGOV, PL, IZ, BU 
SUBJECT: BULGARIA PUSHES FOR MILITARY SALES TO IRAQ 
 
REF: (A) USDAO SOFIA 6 811 0045 05 
(B) 04 SOFIA 2261 (C) 04 SECTO 005 
(D) 04 SECTO 007  (E) 04 WARSAW 5473 
 
(U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JAMES PARDEW, FOR REASONS 
1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: In another sign that Bulgarian political 
leaders are agressively looking for concrete benefits from 
their military participation in Iraq, Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of Economy Lydia Shuleva met with Ambassador 
and the Iraqi Ambassador to Bulgaria, Hayder Al Barrack, on 
January 4.  Shuleva requested the meeting amid signs of 
increasing Bulgarian frustration over their inability to 
win any substantial contracts for Iraq and the recent Iraqi 
award of a 236 million USD military contract to a Polish 
defense contractor (ref E).  Both Ambassadors presented 
specific recommendations on methods to improve Bulgaria's 
contract chances and encouraged the Bulgarians to be more 
aggressive in Washington and Baghdad in their search for 
contracts. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay 
Milkov and Petur Karaangelov, Director of the state-owned 
arms trading firm, Kintex, also attended the meeting.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) Ambassador expressed gratitude to Shuleva for 
Bulgaria's help in Iraq and pledged to continue to work 
with the GOB to assist it in its attempts to land contracts 
for Bulgarian defense firms.  Ambassador suggested that the 
GOB military attachQ in Washington should take a more 
forward-leaning stance in helping Bulgarian companies find 
appropriate contracts, and that the GOB should use its 
commercial advocates in Washington, Patton Boggs, to 
assist.  He also suggested that the GOB form a consortium 
of interested Bulgarian defense companies to bid more 
effectively on coming contracts and subcontracts. 
Concerning the Polish deal, Ambassador clarified that this 
was a contract between the GOP and IIG and not a direct 
U.S. contract.  He emphasized the importance of restoring 
Bulgarian non-military representation in Baghdad as a means 
to further its interests there, since presently the GOB has 
no diplomatic representation in Baghdad. Ambassador said 
contracts are competitive and Bulgaria must be competitive 
to win them. 
 
3. (C)  Iraqi Ambassador to Bulgaria Hayder Al Barrack said 
that Polish diplomats in Baghdad had helped win the large 
contract.  Al Barrack added that the GOB must have "direct 
contact" with Iraqi officials in Baghdad if they want to 
get their foot in the door.  He encouraged the Bulgarians 
to restore their non-military presence in Baghdad as soon 
as possible.  He told Shuleva that after the January 
elections the GOB should invite high-level Iraqi officials 
and ministers to Sofia in order to establish contact with 
their Iraqi government counterparts. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: This meeting was one more example of 
Bulgarian eagerness to land serious contracts for Iraqi, 
which several high-level Bulgarian officials have expressed 
to us in recent months.  We have encouraged the Bulgarians 
to take advantage of their commercial competitiveness, 
especially in the defense sector, while simultaneously 
cautioning them that Bulgarian firms cannot expect to be 
handed contracts on a platter.