Reuters news agency said that despite the public disapproval, the Bulgarian National Assembly ratified the military co-operation agreement between Bulgaria and the US, signed on April 28.

Over 60 per cent of all Bulgarians opposed the agreement as it would allow foreign military bases in the country, Reuters said Opposition parties feared Bulgaria might get involved in US military operations if 'Washington attacks a third county' from the Bulgarian bases.

The author of the article Michael Winfrey said that another concern of the rightist parties in Bulgaria was that the agreement would allow US soldiers to use the bases as secret 'jails'.

Winfrey called the agreement Bulgaria's 'way of repaying NATO' for allowing the country become a member in 2004. Another reason for signing the agreement was that it would provide a 'badly needed investment' of over $10 million.