Bulgarian Politicians React to NATO Plans to Build Command and Control Unit in Sofia


Sofia, February 6 (BTA) - Bulgarian politicians on Friday
reacted to the news that NATO will build command and control
units in Bulgaria and five other Eastern European countries,
which will make it easier to deploy NATO forces rapidly. The
decision comes at what NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
described as "a very critical time for security in Europe, and
across the world." The reactions in Bulgaria focused on whether
the establishment of such a unit in the country requires a
sanction by the national parliament, something that has been
denied by Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev.

KRASSIMIR KARAKACHANOV

Deputy Parliament Chairman Krassimir Karakachanov (Patriotic
Front) said that a sanction by the national parliament is
necessary for the establishment of a NATO command and control
unit in Sofia. "In order to avoid speculation in the public
domain that this is some kind of planning for war against this
or that adversary, it is advisable to have the matter discussed
by the competent committees in the National Assembly,"
Karakachanov said. According to him, Parliament also has a say
in decisions about the passage of foreign armed forces through
Bulgaria to take part in exercises or for other purposes.

Karakachanov urged President Rosen Plevneliev to convene the
Consultative Council on National Security to discuss the issue.
He said that this is necessary because there has been a war
going on in the Middle East for four years now and the situation
there has been aggravated in the last year by the Islamic State
militant group, and because the situation in Ukraine is not
settling down. Karakachanov said it is important to consider how
capable the Bulgarian armed forces are to protect the country's
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and whether the
Bulgarian special services are operating adequately in this
environment.

The conflicts in both the Middle East and Ukraine have affected
Bulgaria because, on the one hand, the country has had to cope
with a wave of refugees from the Middle East, and on the other
hand, there are over 500,000 Bulgarians in Ukraine, Karakachanov
said. "We in the Patriotic Front are firmly opposed to
Bulgaria's opening up to foreigners from the third world, but we
must give shelter to Bulgarians from Ukraine because we have a
moral obligation to them," he said.

Karakachanov does not expect NATO to intervene in the conflict
in Ukraine, because there are many forces that have no interest
in a prompt solution to the situation. "It is all a part of the
battle over gas and oil flows. It is all about the battle for
the resources which Europe uses," he said, and then asked
rhetorically: "Do you think this is about democracy?"

MEGLENA KUNEVA

Deputy Prime Minister for European Policy and Institutional
Affairs Meglena Kuneva (Bulgaria for the Citizens Movement) said
that whether or not the establishment of a NATO command and
control unit in Sofia requires a sanction by Parliament is a
legal and technical question rather than a political one.

Asked by a journalist whether the conflict in Ukraine makes her
feel that "war is in the air," Kuneva said: "We should not panic
at a tough situation." She believes it is a very good thing
that Bulgaria is a member of the EU, which is "basically a
peacemaking bloc." "I hope that many more peaceful steps can be
made and they will be appreciated by all partners," she said.

Discussing the shuttle diplomacy and the efforts of German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande,
Kuneva said everyone should have a sense of urgency about
finding the solutions. "The urgency of the matter should be made
very clear to Russia. The very fact that it has been expressed
by two leaders ahead of the expected decision of the European
Council is a very good diplomatic move," she said, adding that
this move has given Russia time to think about the EU's
peacemaking influence and its fair demands and to act
accordingly.

Kuneva also discussed the integration of refugees in Bulgaria.
She said that the idea is being considered to reduce by 15 or 20
per cent the amount of co-financing required from
municipalities for current EU-supported projects if they take
steps to integrate refugees in their communities. The matter has
been discussed with some success with the European Commission,
but the talks are still at the level of memos, she said.