VZCZCXRO4401
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0724 3240638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190638Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5549
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0739
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0023
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 2036
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0529
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC 0240
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SOFIA 000724 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE 
STATE FOR INL 
DEA FOR ROBERT CASSITTA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR KCOR KCRM BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA AND COUNTERNARCOTICS: INTENSIFYING OUR 
COOPERATION 
 
¶1.  Summary: The Bulgarian Government is acutely aware of the 
problems posed by transit across the Balkan region of 
narcotics and particularly of heroin from Afghanistan.  The 
Minister of Interior contacted Ambassador to press for 
intensified cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, 
both in terms of increased case work and expanded training. 
The Minister underscored Bulgaria's desire to address the 
narcotics challenge and its need for urgent assistance from 
DEA.  The Minister also stressed his view that greater 
cooperation between Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia was long 
overdue.  Our judgment is that we should take up this offer 
of expanded cooperation to combat the heavy narcotics transit 
in this region.  Our limited engagement with the Bulgarians 
to date is not commensurate with the dimensions of the 
problem and the fact that the majority of Afghan heroin 
transits across this region.  We should aim to establish a 
much more sustained DEA engagement here and use Bulgarian 
receptivity to boost their indigenous capability while also 
driving regional collaboration.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  Interior Minister Mikov had a very successful visit to 
Washington October 20 - 24, with productive meetings with 
Acting DEA Administrator Leonhart, Dep. FBI Director Pistole, 
INL DAS Snyder, USSS, and DHS.  Mikov told the Ambassador on 
his return that he is eager to step up cooperation with 
Turkey, Macedonia, and Serbia in the first instance on 
anti-narcotics operations.  His aim: that Bulgaria target 
higher level narcotics drug lords.  He especially wants to 
bulk up Bulgaria-Turkish operational and policy coordination. 
 And he looks to DEA to help provide practical, on ground 
training for his personnel.  While he understands funding 
constraints and personnel issues, he requested that DEA 
agents to spend more time, more frequently here, and 
increased training. 
 
¶3.  We must take him up on his unparalleled openness that 
will increase operational effectiveness.  He stressed that 
Bulgaria has the political will and needs better capacity to 
go after bigger fish, including home grown OC figures and 
corrupt officials.  We propose the following: 
 
-- monthly or at minimum bi-monthly visits by DEA Turkey here; 
-- longer TDY's during those visits; 
-- 2-3 specific practical training programs, ideally here 
where more Bulgarian agents can get trained at lower cost to 
the MOI, on priority areas DEA establishes; these can include 
"follow the money" and undercover training; 
-- establishment of a joint Bulgarian-Turkish working group 
that targets at least one major cross border drug figure; 
-- U.S. direction to establishment of Bulgarian-Macedonian 
information sharing, assuming we can have confidence in the 
integrity of such cooperative ventures; and 
--longer term:  possible shift of DEA agents here on a 
permanent basis, especially if there is a global 
re-positioning of assets given developments elsewhere. 
 
¶4.  Under domestic and international pressure to show 
immediate results, the Bulgarians are reaching out to us. 
Minor adjustments to include more Bulgarians in our training 
regimen strike us sensible and in our interests; so does 
seizing Mikov's offer to bulk up on cross border cooperation. 
  Combined with a continued diplomatic push to drive 
Bulgaria's political commitment, such steps will hold promise 
that we see actual results.  Even in the midst of the MOI's 
massive turmoil and scandal related overhaul, the 
anti-narcotics unit has shown esprit de corps, and 
professionalism.  We can help it to do even better. 
McEldowney