US ambassador to Bulgaria John Beyrle said that he was certain the five Bulgarian nurses tried in Libya for the deliberate infection of over 400 Libyan children with HIV would return in Bulgaria before the end of the year.

Darik Radio quoted Beyrle as saying that he saw great progress in the dialogue with Libya. He added that Libya's interests would be better protected if the Bulgarian medics were freed by the end of the year.

The International Fund for Assistance to the Families of the HIV-infected Children of Benghazi was not 'a ransom' for the lives of the Bulgarian medics, Beyrle said.