BULGARIA: NEW CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF TO CONTINUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000553 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2016 TAGS: MARR MASS PREL PGOV BU SUBJECT: BULGARIA: NEW CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF TO CONTINUE PRO-U.S., PRO-NATO POLICIES REF: USDAO SOFIA DTG 171350Z APR 06 Classified By: DCM Jeff Levine for reasons 1.4 a and d. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. President Purvanov has appointed Lieutenant General Zlatan Stoykov to be Bulgaria's new Chief of the General Staff. Stoykov is a strong supporter of increased U.S./NATO engagement as well as Bulgaria's continued participation in OIF and ISAF. From the U.S. point of view, he is the best of the five or six candidates who had been under consideration, based on his professional competence, apolitical orientation, and flexibility. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) President Purvanov appointed Lieutenant General Zlatan Stoykov to be the new Chief of the General Staff April 12, succeeding General Nikola Kolev whose term expires May 31. An official announcement is expected on May 6. ¶3. (C) The selection of Stoykov, the current chief of the land forces, is a strong indication that the armed services will pursue increased engagement with the USG and the U.S. military and continue modernization and reform efforts. Stoykov has a long history of close interaction with U.S. forces and senior U.S. commanders. He is pro-U.S. and pro-NATO. He supports continued Bulgarian participation in OIF and ISAF and views such missions as the land forces' chief justification for obtaining scarce defense budget resources. ¶4. (C) Stoykov, 55, is viewed as a competent, apolitical, and widely respected "soldier's soldier," and regarded as more flexible than his peers. There is no evidence, or even rumors, that he has been involved in corrupt practices. With the exception of one year on the General Staff as deputy chief of staff for resources and military education, Stoykov has spent his entire 33-year military career in troop-leading and staff assignments, commanding at all levels from company to corps. Although he will be pressured to acquire weapons systems that Bulgaria cannot afford, he will attempt to work within actual resource constraints and seek increased U.S./NATO engagement to enhance Bulgaria's military capabilities. ¶5. (C) COMMENT. Lieutenant General Stoykov is the best choice for the job given the other candidates, who are tainted, to varying degrees, by lack of vision, over-politicization, Soviet-era generational baggage, and accusations of corruption. His nomination is a generally positive development for Bulgaria, the U.S., and NATO. However, his apolitical nature may hinder his ability to affect needed change. At the very least, he will serve as a pro-U.S. placeholder, allowing time for a new generation of U.S./NATO-trained Bulgarian flag officers to be groomed for senior leadership positions. END COMMENT. Beyrle