Bulgaria:  U.S. Will Pay to Scrap Missiles, Official Says

The United States will pay to scrap Bulgaria’s stockpile of medium range Soviet missiles (see GSN, Dec. 6), Bulgarian officials said yesterday.

Bulgaria had “preliminary assurances” that the United States would fund the dismantlement plan, said Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolai Svinarov.  He also said that he would ask for “good up-to-date armament to be donated as compensation by the United States.”

Svinarov did not give a deadline for the completion of dismantlement, according to the Associated Press.  NATO has asked Bulgaria to scrap the missiles, labeling them a safety risk.  Bulgaria aspires to join NATO when invitations are offered during a summit next year, the AP reported (Associated Press, Dec. 6).

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Bulgaria:  Missiles to be Scrapped

Bulgaria plans to scrap its Cold War-era arsenal of SS-23 and Scud ballistic missiles, Bulgarian officials said yesterday. 

The plan is seen as a way for Bulgaria to improve its chances for acceptance into NATO, according to the Washington Times.  Since 1997, Bulgaria has worked to be invited into NATO, emphasizing its key geographic location and improving economy, the Times reported.  NATO is expected to extend new invitations at a summit next year (Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times, Dec. 6).

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