Bulgaria’s government will ask parliament to approve the deployment of up to eight US aerial refueling aircraft at Bezmer Air Base following a request from Washington to support operations in the Middle East, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Monday, Anadolu reports.
Speaking at the opening of the annual conference of Bulgarian ambassadors in Sofia, Radev said the US Embassy submitted a diplomatic note on June 17 requesting the deployment under the 2006 Defense Cooperation Agreement between Bulgaria and the United States, according to BTA news agency.
The Council of Ministers is expected to approve a proposal later Monday to submit the request to the National Assembly for authorization, he said.
Radev noted that although Bezmer Air Base is a joint-use facility under the bilateral defense agreement, Bulgarian law requires parliamentary approval for the deployment of foreign military forces or assets.
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“Despite the urgent nature of the request, we have not yet taken a decision because, under Bulgarian law, such authorization must be granted by Parliament,” he said.
The prime minister also criticized the previous government over its handling of a similar deployment earlier this year, when US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft were stationed at Sofia Airport.
He said the previous administration approved the deployment before obtaining parliamentary approval, misrepresented its nature, and sought to keep it from public attention.
Radev described the government’s approach as part of a broader policy aimed at balancing allied commitments with Bulgaria’s national interests.
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