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Bulgaria willing to be involved in missile shield

Thu, Apr 15 2010 10:49 CET 2639 Views 17 Comments
Bulgaria willing to be involved in missile shield

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov.

Photo: Krassimir Yuskesseliev

Bulgaria wants to participate in the European missile shield, and it is in its interests to do so, according to the Foreign Ministry.
 
Speaking in an interview with Dnevnik published on April 15 2010, Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said that Bulgaria, along with neighbours Greece, Turkey and Romania were within the range of Iranian missiles.
 
Mladenov said that Bulgaria should take an active part in discussions at the forthcoming meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Tallin, Estonia, on April 22 and 23 and in preparations for the Nato summit to be held in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon towards the end of 2010, with a view to the missile shield being part of the strategic defence system.
 
Speaking at a news conference on April 13, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vessela Tcherneva said that when the parameters of the missile defence shield became clear, Bulgaria would ask to be part of the system.
 
The precise shape of this participation would depend on the deployment of the system and what elements could be on Bulgarian territory.
 
Bulgaria keenly supported the building up of a European system for security and defence, she said.
 

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Comments

Anonymous Peggy Thu, Jun 17 2010 23:51 CET


Anonymous Peggy Tue, Jun 15 2010 03:26 CET

"Christian State"... Just how dumb do you think we are?
The US created two Muslim states by killing Christians in my beighborhood, Bosnia and Kosovo
===========================

The only Christians the US were killing are the Serbs and you seem upset about that so I am not patronizing you. I am merely repeating your words.

So either the Serbs were defending themselves or they deserved what they got as you put it. You seem [...]

Read the full comment to be contradicting yourself here and you ARE anti Serbs. It's so obvious by the way you keep knocking Serbs at every opportunity. At least be honest about that.

Anonymous Valeri Thu, Jun 17 2010 17:20 CET

No Peggy,
all I am sayng is that the US couldn't care less and as far as they are consern Christian Orthodox is marginally Christian so I don't like being patronized.
The Serbs with thier early 20th century actions brought it on themselves.
I am not anti Serb I know you don't believe me.

Anonymous Peggy Tue, Jun 15 2010 03:26 CET

"Christian State"... Just how dumb do you think we are?
The US created two Muslim states by killing Christians in my beighborhood, Bosnia and Kosovo, and is still giving support to Muslim terrorists in Russia that is calling "rebels".

This is ALL ABOUT OIL and money snd it stinks!
One day we'll kick you out!
========================

I agree, but this sounds to me like you are saying that Serbs were right in defending themselves against Islam.
I could be wrong though as I know [...]

Read the full comment that you are very anti Serb.

Anonymous Tiza Sat, Apr 17 2010 01:49 CET

US financed and trained GERB personnel doing things for the Pentagon- well that's a suprise isn't it children?

Anonymous Valeri Fri, Apr 16 2010 23:08 CET

"Central Asia is not just critical for U.S. and Russia but also China."
Yeah but where is Central Asia where is the US? Central Asia is Russia's back yard. The US is the aggressor here.

Arming the ex-republics and compelling them to destabilize the region, as it was the case with Georgia, siding with Muslim militants in Russia and the Balkans, essentially supporting terrorism, is a very dangerous game that will lead to major disasters in the future. The US is notorious for short sighted policies and this is why I consider the US [...]

Read the full comment the single biggest threat to peace and stability in the world.

As an amateur historian, I see a familiar pattern that will lead us all to hell, if the US does not back down and mind their own business. Take care of the corruption on Wall Street that almost brought about the biggest catastrophe since the Great Depression.. oil will flow, fear not!

You may not make ALL the profits from it, but oil you will have - the Russians are no fools, they want to sell the oil too, you know... If the US would only focus on making car that we would drive, instead of starting wars for the petrol we put in them only...

Anonymous American Expat in BG Fri, Apr 16 2010 21:16 CET

Well, I would say that of course it's about oil, but also about influence. Everyone is reliant on oil in some way or another, whether they like it or not. Everyone complains about big oil, but people love their cars and cheap foreign imports.

Russia's renewed interest in it's near abroad had also coincided nicely with the rise of oil prices. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the newly established Russian Federation was forced to turn inward due to enormous domestic problems (many of which it still faces), so many countries in the near abroad [...]

Read the full comment turned to the West for assistance it could no longer get from Russia. Now, thanks to increased oil prices over the last several years, Russia is wanting to re-establish itself in the region. Due to this, U.S./Russian relations have taken a downward turn, sometimes reminiscent of the Cold War.

Regarding Russia's protest of any defense shield that may be implemented (if ever, whether by the U.S. or EU), it's falling back on an old tactic, which is to pressure Europe.

While I can agree that the U.S. does many things it maybe always shouldn't. I don't think Russia is an innocent bystander in global politics either, nor is it always simply reacting to whatever the U.S. is doing. It has it's own agenda and also acts accordingly. Central Asia is not just critical for U.S. and Russia but also China.

Anonymous Valeri Fri, Apr 16 2010 18:13 CET

"EU and US investments need to be protected.

US investments in BG are insignificant, relatively, and consist mostly of military installations, and the CIA center they call "Embassy".

Italy and Korea are much, much bigger investors in BG and to imagine that the EU needs the US to come and protect BG - truly ridiculous. As far as Russia losing a satellite - we haven't been that for 20 years - as you pointed out - NATO, EU - hardly a Russian satellite.

The Russians are right to [...]

Read the full comment be very worried about those missiles. They are meant as a part of the American military encirclement they are finding themselves under, due to big oil geopolitics. The US is the biggest danger to peace, as they've proven, time after time since WWII. The world is gradually waking up to that.

Anonymous Valeri Fri, Apr 16 2010 09:55 CET

"Christian State"... Just how dumb do you think we are?
The US created two Muslim states by killing Christians in my beighborhood, Bosnia and Kosovo, and is still giving support to Muslim terrorists in Russia that is calling "rebels".

This is ALL ABOUT OIL and money snd it stinks!
One day we'll kick you out!

AnonymousValeriFri, Apr 16 2010 08:46 CET

This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content

Преглед на профил amrasel Fri, Apr 16 2010 02:19 CET

"to clarify:"

Who are you to clarify anything? The Anonymous encyclopedia?
Or the Political analysts anonymous?
Get serious

Преглед на профил amrasel Fri, Apr 16 2010 02:16 CET

Bulgaria needs to participate in the missile defense shield.
Simple as that.
It needs, it has to, it must be in.
Covered, fully, unabridged and unconditionally.
EU and US investments need to be protected.
I don't know how it is possible for ppl like Valery here to live with this state of mind.
BG is the first line of fire from Iran - first both Christian state and EU and NATO member.
It is clear that Russia doesn't want it's satellite stolen form it.
[...]

Read the full comment You can see for yourselves from the 4 comments of Valery here, apart from the usual silence on more mundate BG news.
Keem dreamin Val.
BG will have PRO, with or without the sanction of you faterhland.
Get it. The sooner, the better.

Anonymous Valeri Thu, Apr 15 2010 21:03 CET

to clarify:

It's mainly about Russia and intimidation generally.
No one seriously thinks that the Russians will attack or that the Iranians will be dumb enough to send a missile to Israel. Missiles tend to have a return address...

Anonymous Valeri Thu, Apr 15 2010 20:58 CET

Oh there is no difference between W and Obama and that's because they are working for the same people. That's why I keep saying that there is no difference between BG and the US in the corruption front, except the style. A regular mutra wouldn't have the intelligence and the cunning to present his skim as the victim's idea.

No I do not think that Iran has any intend or interest in attacking BG. The Iranians are not stupid, they can differentiate between the Belgians and the Bulgarians. The only country they are interested in threatening [...]

Read the full comment (very different from actually attacking) is Israel - hence American "concern" for BG, Clinton's tantrums about settlements notwithstanding....

This is about intimidating Russia - make no mistake about it..

Anonymous American Expat in BG Thu, Apr 15 2010 20:45 CET

Valeri, do you think that perhaps even though BG has no problem with Iran, that Iran (or another Middle Eastern country) might someday have a problem with BG solely because BG is allied with the West via the EU and NATO? Currently, several northern EU countries are struggling with their Muslim populations and enacting/proposing legislation to curtail their religious practices that this won't also become more problematic down the road? It's not for me to say whether it's right or wrong for these countries to enact their own laws, this is their business. Europe has a much more intimate historical [...]

Read the full comment connection with the Middle East (read Anthony Pagden's book if you're remotely interested, it was quite good...called "Worlds at War").

I'm still contending this shield doesn't work anyway. :)

For all the complaining everyone did about Bush, I'm not seeing much difference in anything that this fool "president" of ours is doing. And, they gave him a Nobel Prize for it!

Anonymous Valeri Thu, Apr 15 2010 20:22 CET

" Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vessela Tcherneva said that when the parameters of the missile defence shield became clear, Bulgaria would ask to be part of the system."

The cynicism of that statement would make Machiavelli blush...
Yeah we begged to be protected from those Iranians...

I know my share of thick necks, I can tell you that there's no difference.
Obama made Boyko an offer he couldn't refuse and Boyko is presenting it as his idea.
All the mutras he knows in BG could not prepare [...]

Read the full comment Boyko for the Americans....

Anonymous Valeri Thu, Apr 15 2010 20:15 CET

It's a deal Dianne, get that through your thick British skull.

It's being payed for...

Anonymous Dianne Hatton Thu, Apr 15 2010 19:15 CET

Well, thats why the EU, Nato and the US allowed Bulgaria to join the EU isn't it, payback time.


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