The U.S. strikes on Afghanistan Sunday evening came as no surprise to the Bulgarian government, as it was notified prior to the attacks. President Petar Stoyanov was informed about the launch of the campaign in Afghanistan shortly before it began, announced the press office of the president on Sunday, minutes after the attack.

Bulgaria has not yet been asked to allow access to the transport corridor the country provided in connection with the U.S. operations and there is no information that the route over Bulgaria will be used, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Elena Poptodorova said on Sunday. She added that the U.S. ambassador to Sofia, Richard Miles, telephoned Foreign Minister Solomon Passi shortly after 7pm local time to inform him about the launch of the attack on Afghanistan.

After the attacks, the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) and the president met. "The Consultative Council finds that, so far, the operation Enduring Freedom does not expose Bulgarian citizens and Bulgaria to immediate danger," stated a press release published after the two-hour-long meeting of the Council on Tuesday.

"At this stage, it is not necessary to raise the alert status of the Bulgarian Army," the council decided. It reiterated the need for law-enforcement and security authorities and the Bulgarian Army units to continue training for fulfillment of the criteria for NATO membership.

"The security arrangements already in place will be implemented with enhanced vigilance in the protection of vital installations and in combat alert," the press release said.

It noted that the CCNS unanimously acknowledged that the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. posed a threat to all democracies, therefore Bulgaria has fully sided with the anti-terrorist coalition. "Bulgaria declares its determination to act as a de facto NATO member in its foreign and security policy," the announcement of the press office said.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, National Assembly chairman Ognian Gerdjikov, Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov, Foreign Minister Solomon Passi, Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov, and the floor leaders Plamen Panayotov of the National Movement Simeon II, Nadezhda Mihailova of the United Democratic Forces, Georgi Purvanov of Coalition for Bulgaria and Ahmed Dogan of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. No official statements were made after the end of the meeting.

Earlier on Tuesday, Poptodorova told a press conference that the Foreign Ministry does not have any information about Bulgarian citizens in Afghanistan. She recalled that Bulgaria closed its mission in Afghanistan several years ago because the country does not recognize the Taliban government but maintains diplomatic relations with the government in exile.

"The Bulgarian diplomatic missions have been instructed to tighten security. The Foreign Ministry is in constant contact with the Bulgarian charge d'affaires in Pakistan," Poptodorova said. Embassy employees in the crisis areas have received instructions to heighten their evacuation readiness, she added.

"The United Democratic Forces believe that Bulgaria can and must contribute to the fight against international terrorism with real actions, such as blocking the smuggling routes for drugs and other goods, imposing rigorous restrictions on the arms trade while strictly observing all recommendations by the United Nations Security Council and the Euro-Atlantic community, measures against money laundering, and restricting the operation of all foreign organizations involved in international terrorist activities," the opposition UtDF wrote in a declaration published on Tuesday.

The UtDF recommended enhanced control along national borders, particularly over the movement of persons; providing better guarantees for people's safety by additional measures to protect urban centres and important economic facilities; and applying the generally endorsed restrictions on the finances of natural and juristic persons associated with international terrorism. Following a meeting of the Union of Democratic Forces leadership, UtdDF floor leader and UDF deputy leader Mihailova said that the coalition has considered legislative initiatives with respect to every proposed measure. "The situation requires the concerted effort of all state institutions and adequate information on the developments in Afghanistan and the world," she said.