BULGARIA RESPONDS TO ATTENDANCE INQUIRY FOR 63RD

UNCLAS SOFIA 000514 SIPDIS IO/UNP FOR SUN NSC FOR MCDONALD P FOR REINEMEYER AF/RSA FOR HALDEMAN AND BARLERIN EAP/RSP FOR TIKVART EUR/PGI FOR TESSLER NEA/RA FOR ARVIS AND LANGEVIN SCA/RA FOR MAZZONE WHA/PPC FOR BERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KSEP OTRA OVIP PREL UNGA SUBJECT: BULGARIA RESPONDS TO ATTENDANCE INQUIRY FOR 63RD UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY: REF: STATE 72078 ¶1. (SBU) POLEC Officers delivered REFTEL points to MFA Ambassador and Head of the Department for UN and Global Issues Kamen Velichkov concerning the upcoming 63rd UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) General Debate and requested information regarding Bulgarian participation. Velichkov regretted that a final list of attendees and the details of their stay in New York are not yet available at this time. However, he did anticipate that the following will be in attendance. ¶A. Attendance of the Head of State: -- President Georgi Parvanov has no plans to attend. ¶B. Attendance of the Head of Government: -- Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev is likely to attend. -- No travel dates have been set at this time. -- Plans regarding his spouse have not yet been determined. -- The need for interpretation is still not certain. ¶C. Attendance of the Foreign Minister: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivailo Kalfin is likely to attend. -- No travel dates have been set at this time. -- Plans regarding his spouse have not yet been determined. -- The need for interpretation is still not certain. ¶D. Attendance of other VIPs: -- It is likely that others will join the delegation, but those individuals have not yet been selected at this time. ¶E. Attendance of the Foreign Ministry official responsible for IO affairs: --It is likely that others will join the delegation, but those individuals have not yet been selected at this time. Velichkov will forward a finalized list once it is available. Karagiannis