BULGARIA CAUTIOUS ON BLACK SEA HARMONY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000848

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2016
TAGS: PREL NATO MARR MOPS RO TU BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA CAUTIOUS ON BLACK SEA HARMONY

REF: A. STATE 79658

B. SOFIA 743

C. BUCHAREST 981

D. SOFIA 601

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


1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 14.


2. (C) SUMMARY. The GOB's impression of the June 5 Black Sea
Forum in Bucharest was generally positive. While at the
forum, the Bulgarian delegation received a draft bilateral
agreement from Turkey to join Operation Black Sea Harmony
(OBSH). The GOB has not responded to the Turkish offer.
However, Bulgaria's current policy supports extending
Operation Active Endeavor (OAE) into the Black Sea.
Realizing that this is unlikely to happen, the Bulgarians may
consider cooperating with OBSH without formally joining.
Defense Minister Bliznakov voiced the usual Bulgarian
concerns to the Ambassador June 14, including sensitivities
regarding Bulgarian operations under a Turkish flag. The GOB
has requested details on how an expanded OBSH would
facilitate increased U.S. or NATO involvement in Black Sea
security issues (Ref A). A trilateral expert-level meeting
between Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey is scheduled for June
19 in Bucharest to discuss OBSH. END SUMMARY.

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Generally Positive on the Black Sea Forum...
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3. (C) In a conversation with Poloff June 14, Plamen Bonchev,
Director of the MFA's NATO and International Security
Directorate, described the June 5 Black Sea Forum as useful.
Bulgaria supports future forums "as long as they don't go too
far in creating new permanent institutions." Bonchev
welcomed the USG's announcement that it would contribute to
the Black Sea Trust (Ref B) as a very positive result.
However, he characterized the forum's discussion of frozen
regional conflicts as "not very productive."


4. (U) Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin used the June 5 forum
to stress Bulgaria's role in the Black Sea region as a NATO
member and a future EU member. In a June 5 MFA press
release, Kalfin said, "NATO and the EU are natural partners
in the region." In a reference to the 2004 NATO Istanbul
Summit Communique, Kalfin said, "In practice, the Black Sea
is already a part of the area of responsibility of the
Alliance. We welcome the increased interest of the EU, and
we are ready to assist the further formulation of an overall
approach towards the region."

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...But Cool to OBSH
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5. (C) Poloff met with Yordan Bozhilov, head of the MOD's
International Cooperation Directorate, June 13 to discuss his
attendance at the June 5 forum and follow up on our May 23
demarche (Ref B). Bozhilov stressed Bulgaria's desire for
NATO involvement in the Black Sea. He said the Bulgarian
delegation had hoped to use the forum as an opportunity to
learn more about U.S. plans for a U.S./NATO role in Black Sea
security (Ref B).


6. (C) Bozhilov said that at the forum, the Turkish Navy N5,
Rear Admiral Cem Gurdeniz, handed the Bulgarian Navy Chief,
Rear Admiral Minko Kavaldzhiev, a draft bilateral memorandum
that, if signed by both countries, would make Bulgaria a
member of OBSH. Bozhilov characterized the memorandum as a
bilateral international agreement, and said it was
"unacceptable to the GOB for military-technical and political
reasons." One of the MOD's main reservations to OBSH
participation is that the Turkish memorandum would place
Bulgarian naval vessels under a Turkish national command
structure. The perception of subordination is a problem,
even if Turkey cannot in fact issues orders to Bulgarian
vessels. Referring to the draft memorandum, Bozhilov
insisted that the exchange of maritime surveillance
information with Turkey "should not lead to the obligation
for a Bulgarian naval vessel to take concrete action against
a (suspicious) ship."


7. (C) Naval Attache spoke with Deputy CHOD Vice Admiral
Lyutskanov June 13, who said that the General Staff would
recommend against joining OBSH. He summarized the military's
objections:

- The Black Sea is not a closed sea. It does not belong to
the Black Sea countries.

- Information should be shared with CC-MAR Naples, not
through Turkey.

- A NATO operation is the best way for Bulgaria to have an
equal seat at the table.

- A solution on Black Sea security should "make everyone
equally unhappy without giving dominance to one country."

Lyutskanov stressed that the recommendation against OBSH "is
a military recommendation, and the politicians must still
decide."

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Bulgaria's Policy: OAE in the Black Sea
--------------


8. (C) The MFA's Bonchev told Poloff June 14 that the GOB is
in a "very delicate stage" regarding the U.S. request to
consider OBSH participation (Ref A),and that Bulgaria has
had strong reservations from the beginning about OBSH.
Bonchev stated that Bulgaria continues to support the
extension of Operation Active Endeavor (OAE) into the Black
Sea.


9. (C/NF) Bonchev noted that before 2004, Turkey was the only
NATO member on the Black Sea. He said that certain NATO
military planning documents reflected this fact by
designating Turkey as the lead alliance member for NATO
activities in the Black Sea. Bonchev said that now "the
situation is completely changed, but Turkey is insisting on
keeping its special status based on the argument that
Bulgaria and Romania do not have the same military
capabilities." He acknowledged Turkish contributions to
Black Sea security, but stressed that "regional security
should be a part of Euro-Atlantic security."


10. (C) While assuring us that Bulgaria does not want to
prevent any positive developments that affect Black Sea
security, Bonchev stated, "We will never agree (to OBSH
participation) if this is going to replace NATO in the Black
Sea." He emphasized Bulgaria's long-standing view of Black
Sea issues in a wider NATO/EU context. Bonchev mentioned
informally that, in light of the recently ratified Defense
Cooperation Agreement with the U.S. (Ref D),an expanded
U.S./NATO role would provide the U.S. with more opportunities
to continue to expand its profile in the region.

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Trilateral Talks Scheduled for June 19
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11. (C) MOD and MFA sources informed us that Bulgaria has
received an invitation to participate in expert-level
trilateral talks with Romania and Turkey in Bucharest on June

19. The agenda will include SFOR, NATO's political committee
discussions on the Black Sea, and, most importantly, OBSH.
The MFA's Bonchev said that Bulgaria will almost certainly
attend. He said that Romania has already entered into
discussions with Turkey on OBSH, and he speculated that
Romania may cooperate with OBSH without actually joining.
Bonchev said that this could also be an option for Bulgaria.

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Defense Minister Raises OBSH Concerns with Ambassador
-------------- --------------

12. (C) Defense Minister Veselin Bliznakov raised OBSH with
Ambassador June 15, voicing the usual Bulgarian concerns,
including the domestic political and public relations
considerations regarding Bulgarian operations under a Turkish
flag. Explaining the we are currently determining what our
connection to OBSH would be, Ambassador told him that the
U.S. understood it was difficult for Bulgaria to say yes to
OBSH right now, but it should not say no at this point,
either. Bliznakov thanked Ambassador for the suggestion,
which he clearly found appealing, and said he would pass the
idea to Foreign Minister Kalfin.

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Comment
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13. (C) The Bulgarians remain deeply skeptical of an expanded
OBSH. They regard the Black Sea as an area in which NATO has
already declared its intention to become involved, and they
view OBSH as a Turkish national operation. The GOB fears
that agreeing to join, or even cooperate with, OBSH would
close the door on the possibility of OAE or a similar NATO
operation in the Black Sea. At the popular level, Turkey can
also be a hot-button political issue, given Bulgaria's
history of Ottoman rule. The Bulgarians seek to better
understand the USG's vision for U.S. and NATO involvement in
regional security issues to which we have alluded (Ref A).
We believe the best way forward is to articulate in greater
detail the thought process that led to our recent request to
consider OBSH. Following the signing of the Defense
Cooperation Agreement (Ref D),which signifies a deeper
strategic security relationship with the U.S., the Bulgarians
are eager to engage with us on this issue.

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Action Request
--------------


14. (C/NF) We request supplemental talking points to Ref A to
address:

- How Bulgarian membership in OBSH would facilitate future
U.S or NATO involvement in Black Sea security issues.

- Whether something short of Bulgarian membership in OBSH,
perhaps information sharing, would meet U.S. objectives.

- Whether an expanded OBSH would be a permanent solution or
would be superseded by a future mechanism, possibly under
NATO.
Beyrle