BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PURVANOV REQUESTS MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000074 SIPDIS NSC FOR D.WILSON E.O. 12958: DECL: (##) TAGS: PGOV BU SUBJECT: BULGARIAN PRESIDENT PURVANOV REQUESTS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH IN FIRST HALF OF 2005 Classified by Amb. Pardew for reasons 1.4 B & D ¶1. (SBU) The Chief of Staff to President Purvanov, Andrei Karaslavov, called on the Ambassador to request a meeting between the two presidents. Purvanov prefers the first half of this year. ¶2. (SBU) Karaslavov noted that Bulgaria has been the most stalwart coalition ally in Iraq, but is the only coalition partner whose head of state has not had a formal meeting with President Bush. (Purvanov has had two photo-op/pull-asides with President Bush on the margins of international meetings.) Purvanov would prefer an official visit to Washington, but, informally, Karaslavov suggested another format would work. Karaslavov suggested several possible dates: March 14-16, late March/early April and June. ¶3. (SBU) The Bulgarian Ambassador in Washington, Elena Poptodorova, has previously raised with the NSC the possibility of a meeting, and we expect that she will do so again upon her return to Washington later this week. ¶4. (SBU) Purvanov has been important in staying the course on Iraq. He is a very popular, non-controversial political figure in Bulgaria. It is, however, important to note that during this election year, the leader of his party (Bulgarian Socialist Party Q BSP) has been slowly, but steadily turning up the rhetoric on withdrawing Bulgarian troops from Iraq. ¶5. (SBU) More important than election year posturing, however, is the fact that Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg (National Movement of Simeon II Q NDSS),who is gaining ground in his re-election campaign, has also asked for a meeting with President Bush before the June 26 elections. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: Post supports a Bush-Purvanov meeting for the reasons outlined, but finds the timing of the request problematic. Unless the White House can accommodate meetings with both Purvanov and Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg, post believes scheduling a Bush- Saxe-Coburg meeting should take precedence. The Ambassador would like to discuss both during Washington consulatations scheduled next week. END COMMENT