US troops will be able to use military bases in Bulgaria starting the spring or summer of 2008, Defence Minister Vesselin Bliznakov said.
The first US troops will arrive in Bulgaria in September 2007 for short periods of training. The facilities still need to be prepared for long-term accommodation and training.

Bulgaria and the US signed in the summer of 2006 an agreement for defence co-operation, envisioning the joint use of military facilities in Bulgaria.
By the end of the year, the two countries will sign additional agreements regulating the usage of these facilities, Bliznakov said.
Before foreign troops are able to utilize fully facilities, the Bulgarian bases need to receive certificates. Modernisation plans will determine the period needed to finalise the process.

Bliznakov said that he will soon present Cabinet members with a report on the manner army modernisation is being carried out.

09:03 Wed 13 Jun 2007
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