VZCZCXRO9503
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0307 0670922
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080922Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3358
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SOFIA 000307 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ISN, T, EUR, EAP, NEA 
DEPT PASS TO TREASURY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KNNP KN PARM BU IR
SUBJECT: NO BULGARIAN INFORMATION ON ADDITIONAL 
DESIGNATIONS OF IRANIAN ENTITIES, BUT VIGILANCE CONTINUES 
 
REF: A. A) SECSTATE 19366 
 
     ¶B. B) SECSTATE 19372 
     ¶C. C) SECSTATE 23001 
     ¶D. D) SECSTATE 24344 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  On 19 February, Post delivered ref A information 
on the additional designations of Iranian entities under E.O. 
13382 to Dr. Vasil Kirov, Director of the Bulgarian Financial 
Agency (FIA).  Dr. Kirov is Post's main point of contact for 
addressing the financial and banking aspects of money 
laundering, terrorist financing, WMD proliferation, and 
current UN sanctions programs.  We followed up on March 6 to 
provide a comprehensive summary of U.S. and UN efforts on 
Iran (refs B-D). 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Kirov told us that although no ties to ref A 
entities have yet been uncovered in the Bulgarian banking 
sector, the FIA had taken several new steps to address its 
increased monitoring and reporting obligations, especially in 
regard to UN resolutions on North Korea and Iran.  Since 
early February 2007, the FIA has been meeting with small 
groups of banking compliance officers to provide updated 
guidance and to address concerns and questions of the 
thirty-five Bulgarian banks.  Dr. Kirov stated that because 
correspondence between the FIA and banks were usually in 
written form, he viewed the meetings as a perfect opportunity 
to build closer relationships and cooperation with each 
bank's compliance office, thereby allowing for closer 
scrutiny of U.S. or UN designated entities and organizations. 
 In addition, Dr. Kirov continues to promote the U.S. 
Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control 
(OFAC) website to the compliance officers and has requested 
that they utilize all sanctions program lists, especially 
regarding Iran, to report suspicious transactions to the FIA. 
 Post views this as a very positive sign for USG-GOB 
cooperation on Iran and will continue to build our close 
working relationship with the FIA. 
BEYRLE