BULGARIA REQUESTS HELP TO REVAMP INTERIOR MINISTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000293 SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO S/CT, INL - ERIN BARKLAY, NSC - ADAM STERLING, DHS - STEWART BAKER, FBI - JOHN MILLER, DOJ - ALICE FISHER AND CARL ALEXANDRE E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KCRM BU SUBJECT: BULGARIA REQUESTS HELP TO REVAMP INTERIOR MINISTRY REF: A. (A) SOFIA 248 ¶B. (B) SOFIA 229 Classified By: DCM Alex Karagiannis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Prime Minister Stanishev's National Security Advisor Petko Sertov told us that the PM requests expert advice from the USG to reform the Interior Ministry. The PM wants support similar to the assistance USG elements recently provided to develop the conceptual design for the new State Agency for State Security (DANS). During the initial design phase, the U.S. provided a senior level expert who met with high-level political leaders to outline critical goals, initial competences, and successful organizational models. ¶2. (C) For the MOI overhaul, we envision: One or maybe two U.S experts coming to Sofia for an intense 1-2 day round of consultations. Consultations would be with senior Interior Ministry, Prime Ministry personnel and key parliamentarians. They would focus on: -- Legislative and legal framework and mandate; -- Institutional, leadership and organizational structure; -- Relationship with DANS and/or other government national security organizations; -- Relationship with the prosecution service; -- External and internal checks and balances and safeguards; Internal Affairs Division, Inspectorate General; -- Personnel system and professional development. Critical elements would include special investigative techniques/operations and where best organizationally to place them (in MOI, DANS or a specialized agency) and how to constitute and run an effective anti-organized crime unit and insulate it from untoward political influence. We do not/not envision U.S. expert advice to constitute an assessment mission in the classical sense of the term. Nor do we expect any programmatic funding or training to result from the consultations. Rather, our aim is to: -- advise the Bulgarians as they design and re-engineer a new MOI; -- offer recommendations based on U.S. and European examples of effective law enforcement structures and processes; -- provide a compass point and steering mechanism for the Bulgarians; -- extend political backing (not financial support) that would help propel the reforms; and -- establish the groundwork for future collaboration. ¶3. (C) After the initial round of consultations, the Embassy would follow-up. A second round of U.S.-expert level consultations would be useful once we have the initial draft legislation. Again, we anticipate that the second round would also take about two days. In short, a very targeted, tailored approach to assist the Bulgarians as they consider the legislative, legal, structural, and operational elements of the Ministry. Beyrle