20 years after the signing of the Agreement on the Joint Use of Bulgarian Military Facilities by Bulgaria and the United States, former Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin stated that our country retains control over the military bases and has the right to object to the way they are used.
In an interview with bTV, Kalfin, who signed the document in 2006 together with then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, recalled that the agreement provides for the joint use of several Bulgarian military facilities, which remain under Bulgarian command and on Bulgarian territory.
„There is no extraterritoriality. These are Bulgarian units with Bulgarian commanders,“ he emphasized.
According to him, the initial goal of the agreement was to conduct joint exercises and increase the defense capabilities of the countries on NATO's eastern flank.
Kalfin stated that while he was at the Foreign Ministry, there was no information that Bulgarian bases had been used for combat operations during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The reason for the conversation was the permission given by the Bulgarian parliament to the US to station American military and tanker aircraft at the “Bezmer“ airbase in support of US operations in the Middle East.
"Bulgaria must be notified of the purposes of using these troops or equipment. The country may express reservations regarding their use in military operations“, said Kalfin.
According to him, however, the situation today is fundamentally different from that of two decades ago.
„Now the United States no longer says that the planes are used for training flights, but to support military operations in the Middle East. Bulgaria is not participating in the war, but is providing territory for this activity“, commented Kalfin.
He noted that some European countries, including Italy and Spain, have refused such requests, while countries on NATO's eastern flank insist on a stronger American military presence.
According to him, Bulgaria must clearly define the limits of allied support.
„There is a red line and I assume that the government knows it. It is good to state it“, the former foreign minister recommended.
He criticized the lack of a categorical position of the cabinet regarding the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
“For me, this war is meaningless. It is not clear how it is expected to end, and we are all paying for it - both in Bulgaria and in Europe”, he said.
According to Kalfin, Bulgaria should also have a clear political position on the war in Ukraine. In his words, it is not enough to state that the country supports peace negotiations, but specific initiatives must be proposed to achieve them.
Ivaylo Kalfin also commented on the upcoming presidential elections. He defined the current head of state, Iliana Yotova, as “one of the strong candidates“ for president.