SOFIA, 7 March 2003 — The United States has agreed to buy out $1.7 billion of Iraqi debts to Bulgaria this year, responding to the Balkan country’s strong support, Defense Minister Nikolai Svinarov was quoted as saying yesterday.
In an interview with the Sofia-based daily Dnevnik, Svinarov said the deal was agreed during Prime Minister Simeon Sackskoburggotski’s meeting with President George W. Bush last week in Washington.
Svinarov said Bulgaria may offer two air bases, a base and two training grounds to the US, in case reported plans of relocation of their bases from Germany materialize.
Also yesterday, Bulgarian media quoted the Iraqi charge d’affaires in Sofia, Jahia Mahdi, as saying that all US bases would become a target if his country comes under attack.
Referring to the Black Sea air base Sarafovo, which Bulgaria already opened for US needs in possible Iraqi operations, Mahdi said: “God forbid, but the war against Iraq may start from Burgas.”
Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi reacted by warning that “all ambassadors to Bulgaria should take care about their words and hold them within a diplomatic tone”, the news site Bulgaria Online (www.onlinebg.com) reported.
The same source quoted Svinarov as saying that Mahdi’s comments reflected a “position ... of a government declared as terrorist”. US military aircraft began landing at Sarafovo earlier this week.
