"IT is essential for Bulgaria as a member of NATO to take part in a discussion on a possible NATO attack against Iran," Vesselin Bliznakov, Bulgaria's Defence Minister, said on February 13 in an interview with national private television channel bTV.

Asked about a possible US "surprise strike" against Iran he said: "I think that, at this stage, this cannot be assumed, not at this stage. But if things develop and the threat increases, this cannot be ruled out, since the world must be certain that this type of weapon of mass destruction is under control".

Bulgaria has very good relations with the Arab world, but currently, there are not enough guarantees that Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon, which could be a possible threat to the civilized world. The statements of Iran's president for renewing Iran's nuclear programme were especially worrying, Bliznakov said.

In the interview, Bliznakov also answered questions on another two issues, the Bulgarian participation in Afghanistan and the scandal involving the possible US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prisons in Bulgaria.

Regarding CIA prisons in Bulgaria, Bliznakov said: "We have no data at all that there may be such facilities, such prisons, in Bulgaria. We have sufficient information from the various services and so far we have not received any such data".

Bliznakov said that Bulgaria was ready for its 2006 mission in Afghanistan, and that the country's participation in the South East Europe multinational forces, where the commander of staff was a Bulgarian general, showed "some very good preparation on our part".

On February 11, Bliznakov returned from the second informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Taormina, Italy, held the same day. NATO participation in international peace keeping missions, co-operation with Russia and the combat against terrorism were part of the topics discussed, Bliznakov told a press conference upon his arrival at Sofia Airport.

Afghanistan remains NATO's strategic goal, the test of the organisation's performance of duties at the place where terrorism was born, Bliznakov said.

"A programme for NATO's combat against terrorism in Asia will be launched in the summer of 2006," he continued.

For Bulgaria, the Western Balkans remained the main goal of the country's defence policy and Bulgaria had to guarantee security in the Balkans. That was why Bulgaria would continue its tasks in the Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission, Bliznakov said.