Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SOFIA1177
2006-08-18 06:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:  

BULGARIANS LOOK FORWARD TO U.S. BOOTS ON THE GROUND

Tags:  PREL MARR BU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSF #1177 2300644
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 180644Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2410
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 001177 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIANS LOOK FORWARD TO U.S. BOOTS ON THE GROUND


Classified By: CDA Alex Karagiannis, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 001177

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIANS LOOK FORWARD TO U.S. BOOTS ON THE GROUND


Classified By: CDA Alex Karagiannis, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Prime Minister Stanishev's Chief of Staff, Philip
Bokov, told the Charge' August 17 that Bulgaria looks forward
to completing the 13 implementing agreements necessary for
U.S. forces to begin rotating into Bulgaria on a regular
basis. We told Bokov to expect a EUCOM negotiating team in
late September. In response to his question about when U.S.
forces might begin to arrive, we said that we hoped to have a
first training rotation in mid-2007; we would work closely
on timing and deployment to ensure political, optical, and
substantive success.


2. (C) Both sides agreed that negotiation of the implementing
arrangements would not present any political problems, but
would be labor intensive, especially on the Bulgarian side.
U.S. experts have a great deal of experience with such
agreements, but the Bulgarian side would have to staff the
agreements within and among a number of different ministries.
"The sooner we get started, the better," Bokov said.
Ministries are extremely busy preparing for Bulgaria's EU
accession and might therefore need additional time to study
the agreements and provide input.


3. (C) Bokov said Bulgaria would like to keep the discussion
of implementing agreements as low-profile as possible,
especially during the current political season --
presidential elections take place October 22. Though
technical in nature, elements of the implementing agreements
could be misrepresented by groups such as the radical
nationalist party Ataka to try to score political points in
the run-up to the election.


4. (C) COMMENT: The Bulgarian government is anxious to see
American boots on the ground, which means signing the
necessary implementing agreements as soon as possible. As
Bokov hinted, however, getting there will require some
patience and discretion on the U.S. side. Bulgaria's lack of
experience, its government-wide focus on EU accession, and
its sometimes dysfunctional inter-agency process may prove
frustrating at times for U.S. experts, but the political will
to sign these agreements is clearly present.
KARAGIANNIS