BULGARIAN PRESIDENT'S AGENDA FOR OCTOBER 17 WHITE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SOFIA 001741 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2015 TAGS: PREL KDEM MARR MOPS EINV OVIP IZ LY BG SUBJECT: BULGARIAN PRESIDENT'S AGENDA FOR OCTOBER 17 WHITE HOUSE MEETING REF: A. FREDEN - WILSON/BRANDON E-MAIL 11 OCT 05 ¶B. SOFIA 1719 ¶C. SOFIA 1730 Classified By: DCM Jeff Levine, Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador Beyrle met the evening of October 10 with President Purvanov at the President's request to discuss Purvanov's upcoming visit to Washington. Purvanov provided a non paper outlining "key points" for his meeting with President Bush (ref A and para 4 below). He confirmed that Bulgarian troops would not begin their pullout from Iraq until after the December Iraqi elections, and said the government would announce its decision on a follow-on mission before Purvanov leaves for Washington. Purvanov said the government is considering donating some of the Bulgarian battalion's equipment to the Iraqi security forces, but that the army has not been very forthcoming He responded very positively to the Ambassador's suggestion that he add democracy promotion to his Washington agenda, saying that Bulgaria could use its experience to play an important role in the Balkans, Black Sea region and the Middle East. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On Iraq, Beyrle said it was important for the two Presidents to be able to highlight Bulgaria's continued participation. On the "basing" issue, Purvanov was optimistic about the near-term prospects for an agreement on joint U.S.-Bulgarian military facilities. He said he had pushed the government to focus less on compensation and other "material" issues and more on the strategic relationship. Bulgaria's only red line is the constitution, he added, saying it was important for legal experts to reach an agreement that expresses the political will of both sides to move forward. Purvanov also said he would meet with editors of Bulgarian news media to urge more responsible coverage of the issue. In a subsequent meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Todor Churov told the DCM that FM Kalfin would ask the Secretary to take a "more flexible" approach in the base SIPDIS negotiations, taking into account Bulgaria's desire for a more comprehensive agreement on security cooperation and addressing Bulgarian concerns about sovereignty and legal jurisdiction. ¶3. (C) Purvanov asked for the President's support for Bulgaria's EU membership on January 1, 2007, and for the President's "personal" commitment to helping Bulgaria gain the release of the five nurses unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to death in Libya for allegedly spreading the HIV virus. Deputy Foreign Minister Gergana Grancharova told us October 12 that any positive statement by President Bush on Bulgaria's EU membership or the nurses would play extremely well in the Bulgarian press, as will any reference to a "strategic partnership" between Bulgaria and the U.S. ¶4. (SBU) Text of Purvanov's non paper follows: Bulgaria will remain a reliable, predictable and loyal ally in the fight against world terror and in the spread of the values of democracy. Bulgaria will continue to participate in the stabilization and restoration of Iraq and will have its commitments to the coalition beyond 01.01.2006. Bulgaria remains in Afghanistan and is making serious preparations for the protection of the Kabul International Airport in the second half of 2006. Bulgaria will accept US military installations on its territory. The political will for this was expressed in a position of the National Security Consultative Council and in a Declaration of the National Assembly. Negotiations of the specific terms are underway between the two governments and are to be finalized in the nearest future. The new government - a coalition that is unique for the Bulgarian transition period - has declared firmly continuity in pursuing the main strategic foreign policy goals and democratic values. Bulgaria continues to be a politically and economically stable ally in this region of Europe. Bulgaria, as well as the USA, has a great stake in guaranteeing regular supplies of energy at normal prices. The country's geographic and geostrategic location makes it an important factor in guaranteeing the security and the transit of supplies. This is why we have a keen interest in having the planned oil and gas pipelines running through our territory. We are also interested to develop our national nuclear energy production. There is an untapped potential for active involvement of American business in the modernization and development of the infrastructure of South East Europe. Bulgaria has succeeded in building its unique ethnic and political model, which is a guarantee against the spread of radical Islam. By its stable and democratic development, Bulgaria will guarantee the protection of this model and its promotion in other neighboring countries. Along with its involvement in NATO military missions, Bulgaria will continue to generate security and promote good neighborly relations in the region. In order to lock in the positive trends in the country, we need to achieve membership in the EU in the agreed terms, that is, 01.01.2007. We count on the US for their relevant support. As a EU member Bulgaria will be even better placed to act as a stabilizing factor for security and democracy throughout the region. Bulgaria will fulfill strictly the EU requirements, but we hope that our accession will not be postponed due to internal EU problems. Bulgaria is a good place to do business. Political, financial and economic stability, and the ever-improving investment climate, are all reasons to expect a sharp rise in the investment and economic activity of US companies here. It is a good time for the excellent political relations and strategic partnership of the two countries to open the way for American business in Bulgaria. Bulgaria lies on the border zone with conflict regions and its role in the Euro-Atlantic security structures is growing. The tasks of safeguarding the borders of the Alliance, guaranteeing freedom of movement and security call for a new quality of the systems for their solution. Bulgaria needs more active support from the USA for modernizing its armed forces. We would like to be involved in a more active and full-fledged manner in the current American programs to this effect and to accede to existing programs where we have no access yet. There is an untapped potential for cooperation in the military industrial complex and auxiliary industries. Bulgaria appreciates the US assistance in the case of the Bulgarian medics in Libya. This is a problem of vital political significance for Bulgaria and we expect the American side to continue its pressure on Libya for the earliest possible conclusion in a fair and satisfactory manner, and for the defendants to be released. BEYRLE