VZCZCXRO6574
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0149 0331417
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021417Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3159
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SOFIA 000149 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/RPM, NEA/I, PM, S/I 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PARM PGOV IZ BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: GOVT APPROVES IRAQ EXTENSION 
 
REF: STATE 11232 
 
¶1. (SBU) In a February 2 meeting with the DCM, MFA NATO and 
International Security Director Petio Petev officially 
informed us of the government's February 1 decision to extend 
Bulgaria's mission at Camp Ashraf in Iraq.  He delivered a 
diplomatic note, the operative paragraphs of which read: 
 
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria 
on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria 
expresses its consent in virtue of which US Verbal Note N 022 
from 30.01.2007 and this Verbal Note should constitute an 
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria 
and the Government of the United States of America concerning 
the participation of Bulgarian military contingent (sic) in a 
humanitarian mission providing the security (sic) at Ashraf 
Camp in Iraq.  The annexes constitute an inseparable part of 
the Agreement. 
 
The Agreement is subject to ratification by the National 
Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and will come into force 
from the day when the Republic of Bulgaria informs the US 
Government that relevant Bulgarian constitutional procedures 
have been accomplished." 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to Petev, the ratification process is to 
be fast-tracked, and the agreement may be in the hands of the 
parliament for ratification as early as next Thursday, 
February 8.  A scanned copy of the note will be sent to the 
desk separately. 
BEYRLE