US plan to send the first troops to undergo training in Bulgarian military bases in the summer of 2007, supreme commander of NATO operations in Europe and head of US European command (EUCOM) John Craddock told Congress members.
The agreements for defence co-operation with Bulgaria and Romania were signed in 2006. US troops will use military bases in the two countries to undergo training there.
EUCOM will create a new eastern operation group of troops Joint Task Force-East which will involve from 2000 to 3000 US soldiers.
The aim of the eastern group is to keep US military presence in the Black Sea and Caucasus regions to provide stability in these strategic areasa.
Craddock said that the decision for the withdrawal of nearly 40 000 US soldiers from Europe in the next few years will be reconsidered. EUCOM planned to decrease the number of its soldiers in Europe from 112 000 to less than 70 000, Bulgarian National Radio reported.
Europe-based troops were too busy in global missions, including ones in Iraq and Afghanistan, Craddock said.
The agreements for defence co-operation with Bulgaria and Romania were signed in 2006. US troops will use military bases in the two countries to undergo training there.
EUCOM will create a new eastern operation group of troops Joint Task Force-East which will involve from 2000 to 3000 US soldiers.
The aim of the eastern group is to keep US military presence in the Black Sea and Caucasus regions to provide stability in these strategic areasa.
Craddock said that the decision for the withdrawal of nearly 40 000 US soldiers from Europe in the next few years will be reconsidered. EUCOM planned to decrease the number of its soldiers in Europe from 112 000 to less than 70 000, Bulgarian National Radio reported.
Europe-based troops were too busy in global missions, including ones in Iraq and Afghanistan, Craddock said.
