A TEAM from the United States was expected to arrive within days for talks on possible US military bases, Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov told a news conference on May 17.
In recent days, controversy has surrounded development regarding the future of US bases.
Svinarov’s announcement on May 17 confirmed a statement by Bulgarian armed forces chief Nikola Kolev made a few days earlier.
According to Svinarov, the arrival of the American delegation was evidence that the US senate had taken a final decision about future bases.
He said that the two sides were expected to specify at the talks which Bulgarian bases the US would use, and what the parameters of this use would be.
Svinarov said he expected specific results within a month.
According to Svinarov, it was not clear which bases the US would choose, but there would be three of them.
The benefit for the Bulgarian army would be the new level of interoperability it would be able to achieve.
“Bulgaria also hopes to get support for the modernisation of its army - rather than financial remuneration - in exchange for the use of its military facilities,” Svinarov said. “A decision when the foreign bases will start operating in Bulgaria will be taken by Parliament under national law.”
He said he expected such a decision by the end of this year.
Earlier, there was controversy in the US when defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld indicated that he believed there had been leaking of information regarding plans for the bases. Media reports quoted Pentagon sources as indicating that these leaks had come from officials who had seen a report prepared for the US congress.
Svinarov denied that Bulgaria had been involved in any leaking of information about plans for the bases.