BULGARIA: ACTIVE ROLE IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000552 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV RU GG BU SUBJECT: BULGARIA: ACTIVE ROLE IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE REF: SECSTATE 86108 Classified By: Charge Alexander Karagianni for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Deputy FM Keremedchiev agreed on a firm, united EU message to Russia and said Bulgaria would take an active role in providing and facilitating humanitarian assistance. It declined a Georgian request for military assistance. FM Kalfin will offer use of the port of Burgas as a logistics hub for EU assistance at the GAERC meeting on August 13. Bulgaria will continue to support Georgia's NATO and EU accession, though recent events have made that goal "farther away." END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Charge delivered reftel points, updated to account for latest events, to Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremedchiev August 12. Keremedchiev agreed with the need for EU foreign ministers to adopt a firm and united message holding Russian to account, but did not venture into specifics. He had just been on the phone with FM Kalfin and would follow up with the Prime Ministry and Presidency as Bulgaria refined its position in advance of the GAERC. Though the Georgians miscalculated badly, the Russians were provocative and had prepared themselves well to take advantage of the situation. The disproportion was "using a hammer against a mosquito." ¶3. (C) Keremedjiev noted that President Parvanov convened a special meeting at the Presidency on the Georgia situation. Special working groups were set up at the Presidency and Foreign Ministry. Bulgaria would be as "active as possible" to provide help. The Georgian embassy had asked for humanitarian assistance, specifically medical supplies, and military assistance(without specifics). Bulgaria immediately undertook to provide medicine but declined military assistance, citing the ceasefire. Cutting short his vacation, FM Kalfin would attend the special GAERC meeting in Brussels on August 13 and offer Burgas as a logistical hub for EU humanitarian assistance. A special envoy would be appointed, possibly Keremedchiev himself, to travel to Georgia in the next day or two. Some 200,000 euros in humanitarian assistance will be provided; Bulgaria would also explore using its Official Development Assistance program to allocate funds for humanitarian aid. Bulgaria is ready to provide assistance to South Ossetia once a request is received. At later date, Bulgaria will propose a donors' conference and a conference on frozen conflicts, offering to host a mediation meeting if Russia and Georgia are amenable. ¶4. (C) Keremedchiev noted Bulgaria would look to NATO, the EU and UN for coordinating humanitarian assistance into Georgia. The Charge noted that an integrated operation was critical, otherwise Georgian capacity could be overwhelmed. Keremedchiev expressed concern about the effects of the conflict on Armenia. Georgia was its "lifeline to the world" and perhaps there would be a humanitarian crisis there as well. ¶5. (C) Keremedchiev said that as Bulgaria has good relations with Russia, it was well positioned to play a mediating role. When the departing Russian Ambassador made his farewell call on PM Stanishev, the PM made a point of inviting the Georgian ambassador to a meeting the same day. The Georgian ambassador is very active, he noted, in contrast to the Russians. ¶6. (C) In closing Keremedchiev reiterated that Georgia remains a strategic partner for Bulgaria, the Black Sea an important region, and the events will not change Bulgarian support for NATO and EU accession, though this would be "farther away now." Karagiannis