United States military bases in Bulgaria

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Nowo Selo - Count Ignatiewo - Aytos - Besmer
American F-16C fighter aircraft during a maneuver in Bulgaria 2010
Besmer and Adjacent Regions: A Guide for the United States Military Service

The United States military bases in Bulgaria are officially called " Military Facilities and Objects for Common Use". They are being built in Bulgaria for the training of American soldiers . The contract has a term of ten years and can be terminated by either party with one year's notice.

history

In 2003 the Bulgarian government offered the USA bases in the districts of Plovdiv (Central Bulgaria) and Pleven (Northern Bulgaria) as well as in the Black Sea ports of Varna and Burgas . On March 24, 2006 it was officially announced that the negotiations on the military bases had been concluded and that the treaty - 2006 Defense Cooperation Agreement - was about to be ratified by both sides. On April 28, the contract was signed in Sofia by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Iwajlo Kalfin . On the day of the signing, the nationalist Bulgarian party Ataka (German "Attacke") organized a protest march (2000 participants). The deployment agreement was ratified by the Bulgarian Parliament on May 26, 2006 - with 155 votes to 20.

The contract provides for the stationing of 2,500 US soldiers in Bulgaria. The first troops were stationed in the second half of 2007, initially in the Novo Selo exercise area and in the Besmer air force base.

Locations

The locations remain in the possession of the Bulgarian state, which also pays for the maintenance.

Further information

According to the treaty, up to 2500 American military or civilians can be present in Bulgaria at the same time. Another 2,500 Americans are allowed to stay in the military bases for a maximum of 90 days. The American ambassador to Bulgaria, John Ross Beyrle, said that the American soldiers would probably only be in the country for a few months on a rotating basis, with up to 5,000 American soldiers in the country when they were relieved.

In the event of a criminal offense by an American in Bulgaria, the US can apply its American law. However, Bulgaria has the right to apply Bulgarian law in particularly important cases - the decision rests solely with the Bulgarian side. These cases will be heard in a Bulgarian court without further American right of appeal.

According to an article in the Bulgarian newspaper Standard , the USA promised Bulgaria, in return for the military bases and the Bulgarian military engagement in Iraq, its intensive efforts for the release of the Bulgarian nurses as well as the support of the USA for the immediate EU accession of Bulgaria before the partly still negative European Commission . In addition, Bulgaria was proposed in the bill for Congress for visa waiver.

approval

The military bases bring financial advantages for Bulgaria and allow a joint training of the Bulgarian and American military.

According to information from US Ambassador Beyrle, the US will invest in infrastructure , road construction and the construction of railroad lines, as well as make further investments in connection with the military bases, which will total tens of millions of US dollars . The contract also provides for the possibility of employing Bulgarian subcontractors for the improvement of the military bases following a tender.

According to the US Embassy in Sofia, the following investments are planned for the expansion of US bases in Bulgaria:

  • Building Construction: $ 40- $ 50 million from 2008-2009;
  • Road and Utility Construction: $ 5- $ 10 million from 2008-2009;
  • Building maintenance and minor projects: $ 600- $ 800 thousand per year;
  • Roads and grounds maintenance: $ 300 - $ 500 thousand per year

Rejection

Former US attorney general Ramsey Clark said US military bases in Bulgaria could provoke terrorist attacks, which will create ecological problems and provoke violence and resistance from the local population.

For some Bulgarians, it is humiliating to have foreign military bases on their territory (Nowinar Newspaper - March 27, 2006). In spring 2007, the Bulgarian media reported that the US could use the military bases in Bulgaria for a possible attack against Iran . This was contradicted by Ambassador Beyrle, who emphasized that the bases are under the command of Bulgarian officers and that the Bulgarian side is informed of all arrivals and departures of personnel and technology.

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