AF/PAK: BULGARIA WILLING TO DO MORE, BUT ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SOFIA 000140

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2029
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR BU
SUBJECT: AF/PAK: BULGARIA WILLING TO DO MORE, BUT ELECTIONS
HINDER PROGRESS

REF: A. SECSTATE 28929

B. SECSTATE 29482

C. 2008 SOFIA 712

D. 2008 SOFIA 684

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Karagiannis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) SUMMARY: While expressing appreciation for
Bulgaria's current troop deployments to Afghanistan, Kosovo
and Bosnia, DCM Karagiannis stressed the importance of new
Bulgarian contributions in Afghanistan. Looking to President
Parvanov's first meeting with our President, the DCM urged
Bulgaria to come to the NATO Summit with firm commitments on
new ISAF deployments, including at least two new OMLTs and a
Role Two Military Medical Facility. Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs Churov and the President's Chief of Staff
Kolev noted that summer elections made new deployments
politically sensitive, but promised to look seriously at
possible commitments Bulgaria could bring to the NATO Summit.
They expressed interest in two other embassy proposals:
deployment of agricultural experts to Afghanistan as part of
a PRT or other development entity and consolidation of
Bulgarian forces (currently spread across three regional
commands) into a unified maneuver battalion. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) DCM Karagiannis delivered reftels A and B to
President Parvanov's Chief of Staff, Prime Minister
Stanishev's Chief of Staff and Deputy Foreign Minister
Churov. Subsequently, Chief of Defense Stoykov contacted the
embassy to discuss how Bulgaria could do more.

CURRENT BULGARIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ISAF


3. (U) In 2007 and 2008 the Bulgarians deployed an
additional 390 troops to Afghanistan to supplement the 80
already in place. The bulk of these forces guard the
perimeter of Kandahar Airfield, while the remainder are
embedded in international contingents in Kabul and Herat
Provinces. In 2008 Bulgaria began training a dozen Afghani
diplomats per year in Sofia. Past Bulgarian efforts include
the provision of 70 personnel for Air Traffic Control at
Kabul International Airport and donations of light weapons,
ammunition and ancillary equipment to the Afghan National
Army. Bulgaria has also contributed over 400,000 USD to
international trust funds for Afghanistan.

POTENTIAL NEW CONTRIBUTIONS


4. (C) OMLTs: Bulgaria deployed its first OMLT, in
cooperation with the Tennessee National Guard, to Kandahar in
February 2009. This is expected to transition to an
all-Bulgarian OMLT by February 2010. The Bulgarian General
Staff informally proposed adding a single additional OMLT
next year, but we have asked that they deploy at least two
more in 2010 and that these be "kandak" rather than garrison
OMLTs.


5. (C) Role Two Medical Facility: Although Bulgaria
already has 15 military medical personnel in Afghanistan, we
believe it has the capability to take on this new mission
(which it agreed to on the CJSOR.) The Ministry of Defense
and General Staff have been mulling this new deployment for
over a year, but have yet to make a decision.


6. (C) Helicopters: The Ministry of Defense is interested
in securing NATO funds for the refurbishment of at least two
of its MI-17 helicopters. Given the poor state of the
aircraft, the inadequate training of the Bulgarian pilots and
the Bulgaria-based Russian interests that would benefit from
the refurbishment, we cannot support this course of action.
As an alternative, Bulgaria possesses 12 Eurocopter AS 532
Cougars, which are practically new, but not currently combat
capable. It would cost far less and be a much better
investment to upgrade these newer, NATO-interoperable helos
for combat operations. In return, Bulgaria should be
required to invest its own resources into to proper training
of its pilots and agree to deploy the craft, with crews to
Afghanistan following the upgrades.


7. (C) Civilian Contributions: In a January 6 meeting with
the Ambassador, Foreign Minister Kalfin promised that
Bulgaria would do more in Afghanistan on civilian and

counter-narcotics cooperation, but to date the government
remains without a concrete plan. The Bulgarians say they are
still willing to expand their contributions in this direction
and are open to suggestions from the United States or NATO on
how specifically they could add value.


8. (C) Consolidation of Military Personnel: For over a
year, the embassy has prodded Bulgaria to develop a long-term
plan to consolidate its troops (now spread across three
regional commands) to a single area and add additional troops
to form a battalion-sized force. The Ministry of Defense and
the President's office remain interested in this idea, (the
President's Chief of Staff said that consolidation was his
"personal dream") and are considering whether to pledge at
the NATO Summit to undertake this move in 2010.


9. (C) COMMENT: Bulgaria's embattled government is fixated
on this summer's general elections. All interlocutors stress
the support of the government for Bulgaria's continued
engagement in Afghanistan and for eventual increases in troop
levels. At the same time, all are concerned about the
political difficulty of making new military commitments
before an election. We have urged them, at minimum, to go
forward with a political commitment that would be filled
after the election, as this would empower the MOD and General
Staff to begin detailed planning discussions with the U.S.
and ISAF. Foreign Minister Kalfin will be at the April 3-4
NATO Summit and in Washington on April 8. A clear message to
him on what NATO needs from Bulgaria and the importance of
new commitments will help secure a positive decision in Sofia.
Karagiannis