President Plevneliev: No Proposal Made to Government about US Plans to Store Military Equipment in Bulgaria 

Sofia, June 15 (BTA) - President Rosen Plevneliev said that so
far the Bulgarian Government has had no proposal whatsoever in
connection with the United States' plans to store heavy military
 equipment in several East European countries and the Baltics to
 deter possible Russian aggression. The New York Times carried a
 story on such plans late last week.

Plevneliev said: "We have been following the decision-making
process in Washington, DC, about the US plans to raise the
security level of some of the allies, especially along the
eastern border. At this stage the Bulgarian Government has had
no proposal whatsoever that it could discuss."

The Bulgarian President was answering a question at a joint news
 conference with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who
is on a two-day official visit to Sofia.

Plevneliev said that within the framework of NATO's decision
making, Bulgaria contributes to and acts responsibly for
collective defence. He added, however, that if there are
additional mechanisms and ideas as part of bilateral
cooperation, for instance between Bulgaria and the United
States, Sofia will approach the matter responsibly when it
receives specific proposals.