

Currently released so far... 13368 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
2011/05/13
2011/05/14
2011/05/15
2011/05/16
2011/05/17
2011/05/18
2011/05/19
2011/05/20
2011/05/21
2011/05/22
2011/05/23
2011/05/24
2011/05/25
2011/05/26
2011/05/27
2011/05/28
2011/05/29
2011/05/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Consulate Karachi
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
Consulate Thessaloniki
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AEMR
AMGT
AR
APECO
AU
AORC
AJ
AF
AFIN
AS
AM
AFFAIRS
AA
ADM
ALOW
ACOA
ATRN
AID
AND
APER
ADANA
APEC
ADPM
ADCO
ABLD
AADP
AG
ARF
AMED
AY
AORG
ASEAN
ABUD
AROC
AE
AO
AL
APCS
AGAO
AINF
AODE
ACABQ
AX
AMEX
AZ
ASUP
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
ACBAQ
AFSI
AFSN
AC
ASIG
ASEX
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
ASCH
AFU
AMG
ATPDEA
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AORL
AN
AIT
ANET
AGMT
ACS
AGR
AMCHAMS
AECL
AUC
AFGHANISTAN
ACAO
BR
BB
BG
BEXP
BY
BA
BRUSSELS
BU
BD
BK
BL
BH
BM
BTIO
BP
BO
BE
BILAT
BC
BX
BIDEN
BF
BBSR
BT
BMGT
BWC
BN
BTIU
CPAS
CA
CASC
CS
CBW
CIDA
CO
CODEL
CI
CROS
CU
CH
CWC
CMGT
CVIS
CDG
CD
CV
CG
CF
CHIEF
CJAN
CBSA
CE
CY
CM
CONS
CW
CN
CDC
CT
CONDOLEEZZA
CICTE
CYPRUS
COUNTRY
CBE
CIVS
COPUOS
CARSON
CTR
COUNTER
COM
CR
CFED
CKGR
CHR
CVR
CLINTON
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CLEARANCE
COE
CARICOM
CB
CSW
CIC
CITT
CAFTA
CACM
CDB
CJUS
CTM
CAN
CONSULAR
CLMT
CBC
CIA
CNARC
CIS
CEUDA
CAC
CL
CACS
CAPC
ECON
ETTC
EFIS
ETRD
EC
EMIN
EAGR
EAID
EU
EFIN
EUN
ECIN
EG
EWWT
EINV
ENRG
ELAB
EPET
EN
EAIR
EUMEM
ECPS
ELTN
EIND
EZ
EI
ER
ET
EINT
ECONOMIC
ENIV
EXIM
ES
ECONOMY
ERNG
ELECTIONS
ENERG
EK
EPA
ENGR
ETRC
ENVI
EXTERNAL
ELN
EAIDS
ECA
EFTA
EINVEFIN
EUREM
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EFINECONCS
ECOSOC
ETC
ENVR
EAP
EINN
EXBS
ENGY
ECONOMICS
EIAR
EINDETRD
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
EFIM
EREL
EINVETC
ECONCS
ETRA
ESA
EAIG
EUR
EUC
ERD
ETRN
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EEPET
EUNCH
ESENV
ENNP
ECINECONCS
ETRO
ETRDECONWTOCS
ECUN
GM
GG
GERARD
GT
GA
GR
GTIP
GLOBAL
GV
GH
GL
GOV
GOI
GF
GTMO
GANGS
GCC
GAERC
GE
GZ
GAZA
GY
GUILLERMO
GASPAR
IZ
IN
IAEA
IS
IMO
ILO
IR
IC
IT
ITU
IV
IMF
IBRD
INDO
IWC
IRAQI
ISRAELI
ITALY
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
ICAO
ITRA
IPR
INMARSAT
ID
ICRC
INTERNAL
IIP
IRS
ICTY
IQ
IO
ICJ
ILC
IEFIN
IA
INTERPOL
IEA
INR
INRB
IAHRC
ISRAEL
IZPREL
IRAJ
IF
ITPHUM
IL
IACI
IDA
ISLAMISTS
IGAD
ITF
INRA
INRO
IBET
INTELSAT
IDP
ICTR
IRC
KNNP
KFLO
KDEM
KOMC
KSUM
KIPR
KFLU
KPAO
KE
KCRM
KJUS
KAWC
KZ
KSCA
KDRG
KCOR
KGHG
KPAL
KTIP
KMCA
KCRS
KPKO
KOLY
KRVC
KVPR
KG
KWBG
KMDR
KTER
KSPR
KV
KTFN
KWMN
KFRD
KSTH
KS
KN
KISL
KGIC
KSEP
KFIN
KTEX
KTIA
KUNR
KCMR
KMOC
KCIP
KTDB
KBIO
KU
KSTC
KICC
KIRC
KSEO
KSAF
KR
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KIRF
KOCI
KMPI
KCRCM
KNUC
KIDE
KPAONZ
KHLS
KPRP
KHDP
KNUP
KHIV
KCSY
KTRD
KNAR
KWAC
KJUST
KTBT
KBCT
KNPP
KO
KBTS
KSCI
KACT
KFSC
KENV
KAWK
KHSA
KPRV
KVIR
KCFE
KX
KVRP
KCOM
KAID
KPWR
KTLA
KMFO
KNNPMNUC
KNDP
KMRS
KERG
KPOA
KRCM
KCFC
KNEI
KCHG
KPLS
KREL
KFTFN
KTFM
KLIG
KDEMAF
KRAD
KBTR
KGIT
KGCC
KICA
KHUM
KSEC
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KPIR
KWWMN
KOM
KWNM
KRFD
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KRGY
KREC
KIFR
KSAC
KWMNCS
KPAK
KOMS
KFPC
KRIM
KDDG
KCGC
KPAI
KID
KMIG
KNSD
KWMM
MARR
MX
MASS
MOPS
MNUC
MCAP
MTCRE
ML
MR
MRCRE
MTRE
MASC
MY
MK
MAS
MO
MTCR
MIL
MAPP
MG
MD
MAR
MZ
MU
MP
MA
MOPPS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MEPN
MEPI
MEETINGS
MERCOSUR
MW
MT
MCC
MIK
MAPS
MV
MILITARY
MARAD
MDC
MEPP
MASSMNUC
MUCN
MEDIA
MI
MQADHAFI
MPOS
MPS
MC
NZ
NATO
NI
NO
NG
NL
NU
NPT
NS
NA
NATIONAL
NSF
NDP
NR
NSSP
NP
NIPP
NGO
NAS
NE
NZUS
NH
NSG
NAFTA
NC
NEW
NRR
NT
NASA
NAR
NK
NOVO
NATOPREL
NSC
NV
NPA
NSFO
NW
NORAD
NPG
OTRA
OECD
OVIP
OREP
OPRC
ODC
OIIP
OPDC
OAS
OSCE
OPIC
OMS
OEXC
OPAD
ODIP
OPCW
OIE
OFDP
OFFICIALS
OHUM
OSCI
OTR
OMIG
OSAC
OBSP
OFDA
OVP
ON
OCII
OES
OCS
OIC
PGOV
PREL
PARM
PINR
PHUM
PM
PREF
PTER
PK
PINS
PBIO
PHSA
PE
PBTS
PL
POL
PAK
POV
POLITICS
POLICY
PPA
PCI
PAS
PALESTINIAN
PROP
PTE
PA
PAIGH
PO
PROG
PJUS
POLITICAL
PMIL
PGOF
PDOV
PSI
PG
PRAM
PREO
PARMS
PAO
PTERE
PRGOV
PORG
PP
PS
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PREFA
PNG
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
POLINT
PNAT
PGOVE
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PY
PLN
PHUH
PEDRO
PF
PHUS
PTBS
PU
PARTIES
PCUL
PGGV
PSA
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PGIV
PHUMPREL
POGOV
PEL
PINL
PBT
PINF
PRL
PSEPC
POSTS
PAHO
PHUMPGOV
PGOC
PNR
PROV
RS
RP
RU
RW
RFE
RCMP
RIGHTSPOLMIL
ROBERT
RICE
RM
REGION
RO
ROOD
RSP
RF
RELATIONS
RIGHTS
RUPREL
REMON
REACTION
REPORT
RSO
SZ
SENV
SOCI
SNAR
SY
SO
SP
SU
SI
SMIG
SYR
SA
SCUL
SG
SW
SR
SYRIA
SPECIALIST
SEN
SC
SF
SL
SAARC
SNARIZ
SARS
STEINBERG
SCRS
SWE
SN
SAN
ST
SIPDIS
SSA
SPCVIS
SOFA
SENVKGHG
SANC
SHI
SEVN
SHUM
SK
SH
SNARCS
SPCE
SNARN
SIPRS
TRGY
TBIO
TSPA
TU
TPHY
TI
TX
TH
TIP
TSPL
TNGD
TP
TW
TZ
TF
TN
TC
TL
TV
TS
TT
TK
TD
TERRORISM
TO
TRSY
TURKEY
TINT
TFIN
TAGS
TR
TBID
THPY
UNSC
UK
UNGA
UN
US
USTR
UZ
USEU
UV
UG
UP
UNAUS
UNMIK
UY
USPS
UNHRC
USUN
UNESCO
UNCHR
UNHCR
USNC
UNEP
USOAS
USAID
UE
UNVIE
UAE
UNO
UNDP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNDESCO
UNC
UNPUOS
UNDC
UNICEF
UNCHC
UNCSD
UNFCYP
UNIDROIT
UNCND
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 06SOFIA565, SCENESETTER FOR YOUR BILATERAL PROGRAM IN SOFIA
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06SOFIA565.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
06SOFIA565 | 2006-04-20 14:45 | 2011-05-21 12:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Sofia |
Appears in these articles: http://www.bivol.bg/wlatakarussia.html http://www.mediapool.bg/show/?storyid=179768&srcpos=2 |
VZCZCXRO9241
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSF #0565/01 1101445
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 201445Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1787
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0915
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SOFIA 000565
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR THE SECRETARY FROM AMBASSADOR BEYRLE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ENRG EINV OVIP EUN LY IZ BG
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR YOUR BILATERAL PROGRAM IN SOFIA
Classified By: Ambassador John Beyrle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. All of Bulgaria -- and many others in the
region -- will be watching April 27 as you and Foreign
Minister Kalfin sign in Sofia the Defense Cooperation
Agreement (DCA), which gives U.S. military forces access to
Bulgarian bases. The long-awaited agreement will be the
highlight of your bilateral agenda and a major milestone in
our relations with this consistently reliable ally. Bulgaria
is working hard to get into the European Union on January 1
and, with troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Western
Balkans, is boxing above its weight on the world stage. The
government has asked for and deserves our active support on
behalf of their on-time membership in the EU. They are also
looking for your help in casting the DCA as a victory, and in
putting the military aspects of our relationship in a larger
overall context that includes close political and economic
cooperation. Your overall message should be that Bulgaria is
a valued partner in the security sphere and across the full
range of U.S. interests.
¶2. (C) Passivity in the face of corruption and organized
crime has been the weak point not only in this government's
record, but its predecessors' as well. This may be starting
to change under pressure from the EU and with the appointment
of a respected new Chief Prosecutor. The government's
ability to actively promote democracy in the Western Balkans
or Black Sea region has been hampered by its near-total focus
on EU membership, but it is ready in principle to play a
role. In the longer term, we should encourage Bulgaria to
wean itself from over-dependence on Russian energy. As for
domestic politics, the pro-American coalition headed by
Socialist Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, whom you will
meet, is stable in the near term, but is held together
primarily by the quest for EU membership. President Purvanov
will seek this November to be the first Bulgarian President
re-elected since the collapse of communism. END SUMMARY.
PUTTING THE "BASE AGREEMENT" IN CONTEXT
---------------------------------------
¶3. (C) The signing of the Defense Cooperation Agreement is a
monumental event for Bulgaria. The Agreement, which gives
the U.S. access to two air bases and an army training area,
will lay the remaining foundation for the brigade-sized
Eastern European Task Force, which will have its headquarters
in Romania. The negotiations have been the subject of
widespread -- and more often than not, inaccurate -- coverage
in the local news media. Many Bulgarians oppose the idea of
"foreign bases" on their soil, fear the United States will
use Bulgaria as a launching pad to attack Iran, or believe
that the U.S. presence will make Bulgaria a target for
terrorists. Polls show that the more people learn about the
proposed U.S. presence, the less they oppose it, but the
government still needs to do more to explain the agreement to
the public.
¶4. (C) It is important for the government and the public to
hear from you that Bulgaria is a valued and equal partner,
not just in the security sphere, but across the entire
spectrum of our relationship. There is a strong basis for
that judgment. The DCA comes on the heels of a government
decision to send troops back to Iraq after campaigning last
year on a platform of immediate withdrawal, and coincides
with the ramping up of its presence in Afghanistan, where
Bulgaria will soon take over security for Kabul airport.
Consequently, the government is seeking to shift some of the
focus of public discussion away from the military aspects of
our relationship and toward the political and economic. Here
too, we have a good story to tell. Huge U.S. investments are
in the pipeline, including a 1.4 billion dollar power plant
built by AES and a Hewlett-Packard call-service center that
will create some 1000 knowledge-based jobs. We still lag
behind our EU partners in terms of direct foreign investment,
but Bulgarian audiences need to hear that we will not be
satisfied until we are number one.
ENERGY DIVERSIFICATION
----------------------
¶5. (C) AES' investment in a new, clean coal-fired power plant
will help Bulgaria diversify its dependence on Russian
energy, but only marginally. Bulgaria buys 88 percent of its
gas and 73 percent of its oil from Russia, resulting as well
in a huge bilateral trade deficit. This energy dependency
SOFIA 00000565 002 OF 002
was brought home in December when, in a near-replay of events
in Ukraine, Gazprom Vice Chairman Medvedev personally
threatened Stanishev with a cut-off of Russian supplies if
Bulgaria did not agree to renegotiate the terms of its
current gas contract. The crisis was eventually defused, but
the bottom line is that Bulgaria is paying 35 percent below
market prices for its gas, affording Moscow significant
potential leverage over Sofia. Helping Bulgaria to avoid
putting all its eggs in one basket is a long-term project,
but one in which we should remain engaged.
EU ACCESSION AND RULE-OF-LAW PROBLEMS
-------------------------------------
¶6. (C) The current government is understandably focused on
getting into the EU on time. Brussels is sending mixed
signals, in part to keep Bulgaria's feet to the fire on
reform. Current thinking appears to be that Bulgaria will
join the Union as scheduled, but with at least a Justice and
Home Affairs (JHA) safeguard clause and continued EU
monitoring in that area. The Bulgarians are concerned by
rumors the EU may be designing additional monitoring
mechanisms for Bulgaria even after accession that could
affect the flow of structural funds. President Purvanov has
just sent a personal plea to President Bush asking for
support of Bulgaria's EU accession. They will likely
reiterate this request in their meetings with you.
¶7. (C) Bulgaria's problems with Brussels are primarily in the
area of rule of law. Successive governments have shown
little inclination to deal forcefully with the problems of
corruption and organized crime, preferring instead to pass
new laws and showcase relatively minor enforcement successes.
Your message should be that there is no daylight between the
U.S. and the EU on this issue: Bulgaria needs to prosecute
organized crime bosses cum "businessmen," as well as corrupt
politicians. It needs to clean up its system of public
procurement, which is plagued by kickbacks and sweetheart
deals. And it needs to break the dependence of political
parties on cash financing from favor-seeking business
interests.
NURSES IN LIBYA, FLOODS AND KOSOVO
----------------------------------
¶8. (C) Last but not least, Bulgarians want to hear that we
are working hard to secure the release of the five nurses
unjustly imprisoned in Libya since 1999. Depending on how
the situation develops over the next week, you should also be
prepared to express condolences for flood losses along the
Danube. And you should privately encourage Bulgarian leaders
to continue playing a constructive role on the margins of the
Kosovo final status talks by helping to build confidence
between the two sides. On that issue, the government seems
to accept that Kosovo will gain its independence, but is
concerned about a possible spill-over effect, especially in
neighboring Macedonia.
THE POLITICAL SCENE
--------------------
¶9. (C) You will be arriving in a relatively stable political
environment, although President Purvanov is already looking
at nearly every issue through the lens of the November
presidential elections. The three-party coalition led by PM
Stanishev has a comfortable majority in parliament. The
government easily survived a perfunctory vote of
no-confidence on April 19 by a margin of 161 votes to 61.
Events on the horizon, however, could begin to pull the
disparate coalition partners in different directions. These
include the November presidential election and the conditions
linked to EU membership. If Bulgaria gets into the Union on
January 1, the raison d'tre for this coalition will no
longer be present, but inertia and the desire to avoid
hanging separately may keep the partners together. If
accession is delayed, the desire to shift blame among the
parties will exert a stronger centrifugal force. Finally,
the extreme nationalist Ataka party plans to protest the
signing of the DCA during your visit. The protests may draw
media attention if for no other reason than that Ataka is
such a circus, but we do not believe they can distract from
your message.
Beyrle