NATO has set its mind on yet another big ex-soviet embrace and a possible Asia expansion in the coming years, something that would start a completely new phase in its development. How and when this should happen is to be among discussion topics at an April 27-28 informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sofia. The meeting will take place in the National Palace of Culture (NDK) and will be hosted by Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin.

It is an important scene-setter for the alliance's summit meeting in Riga, Latvia, in November 2006. By then, ministers will have had up to five meetings to come up with concrete "deliverables" on issues such as the alliance's transformation and enlargement, security in the Western Balkans, the Kosovo negotiations, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and other regions of interest for the alliance. Bulgaria is the first new Eastern European NATO country to host such an event, Foreign Ministry spokesman Dimitar Tsanchev said.

Bulgaria has been a keen NATO member and an enthusiastic policymaker since its accession on April 2 2004. One of its first successes was convincing NATO to invest in the renovation of the Bezmer and Novo Selo joint military bases as part of the NATO security investment programme. Thirty million euro will flow into their infrastructure, US ambassador John Beyrle said on March 7. The final agreement will be determined during the Sofia meeting.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to arrive for the purpose. She will visit either the Bezmer or the Novo Selo base, already confirmed as future joint training grounds. She is expected to fly in by helicopter, Bulgarian-language newspaper Standart reported. Her exact route will be kept a secret for security reasons and will most probably be chosen at the last moment. Surveillance from helicopters will provide the security of the 26 foreign ministers of NATO member states, NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and 800 other guests expected to attend, Standart reported.

Hundreds of police and sharpshooters will be on duty during the meeting.

The final programme of the meeting will be announced on April 25, two days before media events start. Almost two million leva were set apart from the budgets of the foreign and interior ministries and the National Police Service for the meeting.

The enlargement and transformation of the alliance will be the most important topic of discussion. European and American NATO representatives first talked about an Asia enlargement in the beginning of February 2006, amid the heated Iran nuclear dispute and the Mohammed cartoon outrage. The necessity for re-evaluation was first mentioned at the historic 2002 summit meeting in Prague. NATO's political and military transformation was also the focus of the February 9-10 meeting of NATO defence ministers in Taormina, Italy. The preparation of the alliance's 25 000-strong expeditionary response force was also discussed at Taormina. Ministers decided that it has to be fully up and running by the end of this year.

Bulgaria will participate with a nuclear, chemical and biological protection platoon, Bulgarian Defence Minister Vesselin Bliznakov said after the meeting. This will cost 600 000 leva, he said.

According to contractual agreements, Bulgaria gives 2.6 per cent of its GDP, or about 1164 billion leva, for defence. This makes Bulgaria fifth in its NATO military spending in comparison to other member countries. The 2006 military budget, however, is at least 70 million leva less, or 2.44 per cent of GDP. This may hinder army modernisation in the priority modernisation areas, Bliznakov said on February 20. Bulgaria will need until 2015 to completely upgrade its armed forces to the level of other NATO member states.

The majority of modernisation funds will be allocated in the last years of the 2004-2015 period, Defence Ministry officials said on February 20. However, delivery contracts and initial payments have already been made. This puts the Defence Ministry in the position of a person whose boss lowers his wages exactly when he has begun payment on a huge loan, Deputy Defence Minister Simeon Nikolov said on February 20. It also compels the ministry to re-negotiate modernisation projects, like that with Italy's Alenia Aeronautica.The Italian company will supply Bulgaria with military aircraft and modernise the Vrazhdebna air force base next to Sofia in a deal worth 92 million that the two countries signed on February 24 2006.

Under question remains the modernisation of 36 Mi-24 and Mi-17 helicopters. The modernisation of MiG-29 chasers is also dubious. The ministry will "freeze" the building of corvettes and wait two or three years before buying new fighters. Bank loans have been provided, but the problem is in the ministry's capital expenses, which were limited by the International Monetary Fund, Bliznakov said.

A further strain on the defence budget is Bulgarian peacekeeping operations. Their partial American funding might be cut as part of a NATO plan to make peacekeeping operations self-sustainable, another decision discussed during the Taormina meeting. Bulgaria has peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq. Iran is another Middle East country in which Bulgaria has political interest, Bliznakov said in an interview with  television channel bTV on February 13.

"It is essential for Bulgaria to take part in a discussion on a possible NATO attack against Iran," he said. Bulgaria has very good relations with the Arab world, but there are currently not enough guarantees that Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon, he said.

However, the Western Balkans remain the main concern of Bulgarian foreign defence policy, Bliznakov said. We have to guarantee security in the Balkans and will therefore remain in the KFOR mission, he said. 

Bulgaria's word is also heard in relation to the new round of NATO Eastern European enlargement, which will also be on the agenda at the Sofia meeting. The Membership Action Plan (MAP) agitation of the post-Soviet bloc is getting particularly audible as the Riga summit nears. It is likely to make Bulgaria an even more valued NATO partner as NATO member-hopefuls ogle their neighbour for political support.

Georgian defence minister Irakli Okruashvili told Bliznakov during a late February meeting that Georgia counted on Bulgarian support for its NATO membership during the NATO discussions. Bliznakov promised his support, as well as advice and expertise on military reform. The two also talked about defence co-operation in the Black Sea region - something about which Romania has also expressed concern. Romanian president Traian Basescu urged the EU and NATO to get more engaged in the region because it is rich in oil and gas, but needs help to better its security situation. He expressed Romania's desire to participate in the Black Sea engagement.

During a visit to Kiev on February 7, Basescu voiced his support for Ukraine's quick NATO integration. Besides Ukraine, Romania wants to strengthen relations with Moldova and Georgia and further help the alliance fill the gap of former Soviet countries that are still not part of the alliance. The bigger and better NATO post-soviet hug will not come until 2008, however, NATO officials said.

Albania, Croatia, Georgia and Macedonia hope to be invited to join MAP at the summit meeting in Riga. Albania is most radical in its NATO hopes. On March 7 prime minister Sali Berisha said that Albania wants to become a member on the next summit meeting to discuss enlargement. Albania was ready to "pay any price" to join NATO, he said.