Despite Parliament's decision to pullout Bulgarian troops from Iraq, the country will most likely maintain its military presence in the Arab country. Bulgaria will send 120 military personnel who will be responsible for the security of a camp close to Baghdad. The troops would be sent in February, Defence Minister Vesselin Bliznakov said.
The Bulgarians will replace the 70 Americans who currently guard Ashraf camp, 70km north of the Iraqi capital. The mission would be military-humanitarian, Bliznakov said. Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin was unaware of the decision, media sources reported. He said that before troops were sent, the proposal had to pass through the national security council, the Parliament and the Cabinet. Army commander General Nikola Kolev presented the proposal for extended participation to the defence minister last Friday. Bliznakov is expected to give more information about the final decision after his return from Brussels today. There, Bliznakov together with his counterparts from Greece, Cyprus and Romania, signed an agreement for the creation of a military troop responsible for European defence and security policies, Trud newspaper reported.