Military aid to Bulgaria is to increase, Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said in Washington yesterday. Kalfin, part of President Georgi Purvanov's delegation, met with foreign policy adviser Kondoleeza Rice. The two discussed mutually-owned military equipment on Bulgarian territory. Some issues will require additional consultation. Agreement was achieved on most questions related to the positioning of military bases, Defence Minister Vesselin Bliznakov, who also is a part of the delegation, said.
Kalfin said he expected the conclusion of talks regarding the form of Bulgarian participation in Iraq peacekeeping operations soon. The fact that Bulgaria remains in the coalition is important to the US and as a result military aid will increase. Bliznakov requested US assistance for the pullout of Bulgarian troops. The new participation format will be determined before the final pullout. Some of the options include educational missions, diplomatic instruction and humanitarian intervention, mediapool.bg reported.