BULGARIA CONSULTS ON MANPADS SALES TO EGYPT

S E C R E T SOFIA 001119 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/CATR, EUR/PRA, PM/WRA, L/PM E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016 TAGS: PARM PREL MARR MASS ETTC EG BU SUBJECT: BULGARIA CONSULTS ON MANPADS SALES TO EGYPT REF: A. 05 STATE 213520 ¶B. STATE 6935 ¶C. SOFIA 186 Classified By: A/DCM Brad Freden, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request -- please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (S) On August 9, Christo Atanasov, head of the Export Control Department of the Ministry of Economy, informed us that Bulgarian arms manufacturer Samel 90 has applied to export 100 sets of MANPADS components to Egypt. The proposed sale is pursuant to a 2004 contract between Samel 90 and state-owned Egyptian firm Arab International Optronics for 300 sets of components, of which fifty sets have already been delivered (reftel A). According to Atanasov, the component sets proposed for export include only mechanical parts and housings for the MANPADS trigger mechanism, and contain no electronic components. The end user for the proposed sale is the Egyptian Ministry of Defense. ¶3. (S) Though Atanasov's request for a meeting is clearly pursuant to the bilateral MANPADS consultation plan agreed to in February (refs B & C),he did not provide a diplomatic note as stipulated in the agreement. We have requested written notification by diplomatic note and will forward the text when it becomes available. ¶4. (S) Post requests Department guidance on an official response to the proposed sale. Beyrle