Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said that NATO member countries should discuss the positioning of the US anti-missile shield on the entire territory of the alliance.

Kalfin also said that the positioning of the shield and the agreement for joint use of military facilities in Bulgaria were unrelated.

The agreement Bulgaria and the US signed is public and available for examination by everyone, including Russia, Kalfin said.

Whenever Russia asked for information from Bulgaria, it was granted access, Kalfin said. He referred to Moscow’s worries that the anti-missile shield and the military bases in Bulgaria could be used to target Russia.

NATO’s territory should benefit from unified security measures, Kalfin said, and the span of the anti-missile shield should be re-considered.

The issue will feature among the topics of discussion during the visit of US president George W. Bush’s visit to Bulgaria.