Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SOFIA743
2006-05-26 10:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:  

BULGARIA AND THE BLACK SEA

Tags:  NATO MARR MOPS RS GG RO TU AR AJ BU 
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VZCZCXYZ0038
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSF #0743/01 1461014
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261014Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1972
INFO RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0665
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 1315
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU PRIORITY 0012
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0097
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU PRIORITY 0220
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV PRIORITY 0503
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0552
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 0213
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN PRIORITY 0028
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000743 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: NATO MARR MOPS RS GG RO TU AR AJ BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA AND THE BLACK SEA

REF: SECSTATE 79658

Classified By: Ambassador John Beyrle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000743

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: NATO MARR MOPS RS GG RO TU AR AJ BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA AND THE BLACK SEA

REF: SECSTATE 79658

Classified By: Ambassador John Beyrle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. A cautious Bulgarian delegation, led by
Foreign Minister Kalfin, will attend the June 5 Black Sea
Forum. The GOB's Black Sea interagency working group has not
yet made a recommendation on Bulgarian participation in
Operation Black Sea Harmony (OBSH),and the Bulgarians are
looking for specifics on exactly what this participation will
entail. Bulgaria is ready to share information and suggests
expanding the role of the Burgas Center, which currently
exchanges data between littoral interior ministries. Most
importantly, they are looking for specifics on any planned
U.S. or NATO role in the Black Sea. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) In response to reftel demarche, referring to OBSH,
Plamen Bonchev, Director of the MFA's NATO and International
Security Directorate, said that "a national operation should
not be the basis for regional security in the Black Sea." He
said NATO has a "strategic responsibility" in the region, and
Bulgaria favors expanding Operation Active Endeavor (OAE)
into the Black Sea. In a bilateral meeting April 29, the MFA
informed Turkey that Bulgaria did not yet have an official
position on OBSH. Both sides agreed to meet again in
mid-June. According to Bonchev, this meeting would be
postponed if Bulgaria does not have an official position by
then. He mentioned that Romania held similar talks with
Turkey May 9.


3. (C) Bonchev raised a number of challenges to Bulgarian
participation in OBSH:

- Under Bulgarian law, the exchange of classified information
with Turkey would require a bilateral memorandum of
understanding unless the exchange occurs within the framework
of NATO. Bulgaria has offered to sign such a memorandum, but
the Turks "were only interested in exchanging economic
information."

- The GOB is also concerned about financial and resource
challenges associated with participation in OBSH.

- The GOB has questions about the modalities of the command
relationship between Turkish and Bulgarian forces.

Poloff reiterated that Bulgaria's membership in OBSH would
not preclude, but facilitate, future U.S. or NATO involvement
and stressed the U.S. desire to encourage Bulgaria's
cooperation with Turkey in developing a practical concept of
operation for an expanded OBSH.


4. (C) Bonchev was clear that "a NATO face" is key in the
Black Sea. Recognizing that OAE is not likely to be extended
into the Black Sea, Bulgaria's preferred option is "NATO
engagement based on national operations linked directly to
NATO." Rather than sharing information with Turkey, Bulgaria
prefers to provide maritime surveillance information directly
to the Allied Maritime Component Command (CCMAR) in Naples
through NATO channels. The information could then be
combined with OAE to provide an integrated picture of the
Mediterranean and Black Sea.


5. (C) DCM met with Deputy Defense Minister Sonya Yankulova
and Yordan Bozhilov, Director of the MOD's International
Cooperation Directorate, May 23 to discuss the reftel points
at the MOD. Yankulova echoed the MFA's concerns and asked
for more information on how the U.S. envisions its role in
the Black Sea and any possible U.S./NATO involvement in OBSH.
She said that "Bulgaria is ready to share information with
CCMAR," and offered to explore ways to expand the role of the
Burgas Center, a multi-national information fusion center for
littoral ministries of interior. According to Bozhilov,
Russia is ready to send officers to participate in OBSH's
command structure. He wondered how Bulgaria would share
information with a command that includes non-NATO officers.


6. (C) COMMENT. The GOB is approaching the idea of OBSH
participation in a cautious but constructive manner despite
concerns of Turkish domination. They appear ready to share
information on national Black Sea activities but would prefer
a more collective information conduit to NATO. The
Bulgarians are eager to use the June 5 Black Sea Forum as an
opportunity to discuss many of their questions and concerns.
END COMMENT.
Beyrle