US embassy cable - 05SOFIA1765

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 001765 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, IZ, BU, NATO, Bulgaria-Iraqi Freedom 
SUBJECT: BULGARIA AGREES TO DEFER IRAQ FOLLOW-ON MISSION 
DECISION 
 
REF: A) SECSTATE 188907 B) SOFIA 1719 
 
Classified By: DCM Jeffrey D. Levine for reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
1. (C) Based on ref A demarche,  the Bulgarian government 
agreed to postpone decision regarding its Iraqi follow-on 
mission until after President Purvanov,s meeting with 
President Bush.  Rayko Raychev, chief of staff to Foreign 
Minister Kalfin told DCM that the Council of Ministers, which 
had been scheduled to decide the issue Oct. 13,  would 
instead conduct only a general discussion that would "not 
preclude anything." 
 
2.   (C)  In a follow-up discussion, MFA NATO and 
International Security Director Plamen Bonchev confirmed that 
the Council of Ministers met, but in response to the U.S. 
demarche took no decision on Iraq.  Bonchev indicated 
willingness on the part of the GOB to continue discussions on 
Bulgaria's follow-on mission prior to the Presidents' meeting 
on October 17 if the U.S. side believes that would be useful. 
 He assured us that Bulgaria will have a presence in Iraq 
after December 31, and has not definitively ruled out taking 
part in the MEK mission at Camp Ashraf.   However, the 
parameters for the final decision -- security of the troops, 
smaller number of forces, limited resources, and foreign 
policy considerations -- argue for a training mission, 
according to Bonchev.  He suggested that Ambassador 
Poptodorova would be the most appropriate interlocutor for 
any discussions between now and the Presidents' meeting, and 
that the two sides should decide in advance how the two 
Presidents will publicly characterize Bulgaria's continuing 
role in Iraq. 
BEYRLE