BULGARIA: GOVT APPROVES IRAQ EXTENSION

UNCLAS SOFIA 000149 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/RPM, NEA/I, PM, S/I E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV IZ BU SUBJECT: BULGARIA: GOVT APPROVES IRAQ EXTENSION REF: STATE 11232 ¶1. (SBU) In a February 2 meeting with the DCM, MFA NATO and International Security Director Petio Petev officially informed us of the government's February 1 decision to extend Bulgaria's mission at Camp Ashraf in Iraq. He delivered a diplomatic note, the operative paragraphs of which read: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria expresses its consent in virtue of which US Verbal Note N 022 from 30.01.2007 and this Verbal Note should constitute an Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the United States of America concerning the participation of Bulgarian military contingent (sic) in a humanitarian mission providing the security (sic) at Ashraf Camp in Iraq. The annexes constitute an inseparable part of the Agreement. The Agreement is subject to ratification by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and will come into force from the day when the Republic of Bulgaria informs the US Government that relevant Bulgarian constitutional procedures have been accomplished." ¶2. (SBU) According to Petev, the ratification process is to be fast-tracked, and the agreement may be in the hands of the parliament for ratification as early as next Thursday, February 8. A scanned copy of the note will be sent to the desk separately. BEYRLE